Dragon Rising has been released

[dmarkwick 261]

What are these live streams that people are talking about?

[hoot 0]

What are these live streams that people are talking about?

Simply screencasts streamed over the net.

[sabre4809 0]

http://community.codemasters.com/forum/showthread.php?t=384158

That Heroes guy, not really playing just doing stupid things despite saying he is "Pro pc Realism player', don't watch for long or you may go insane, he really is that irritating.

[turin turambar 0]

Ok PC version. My impressions. Very early impressions. Telegraph style, as i am playing right now:

1. Supports alt-tabbing (I just did it).

2. Performance seemed very bad at the beginning, as the graph linked indicated, with my ati 4890. Then i lowered the shadow memory level from 4096 to 2048, and baam! much better framerate, a solid 35fps.

3. Graphics are pretty decent, somehow attractive with their own charm... but it's still a console port. Muddy textures (anisotropic only goes this far at its own), vehicles, soldiers and objects (trees, etc) done with good taste and compromise, but they lack a bit of detail, they look like a game from 2006, not 2009. Detail at medium range of the lanscape (50m-100m) is pretty poor, and vegetation is also very primitive. I wonder what kind of myopic person can say it looks better than ArmA 2.

The good part is that i have 10fps more on average than Arma 2, and without the weird LOD switching and/or stutter that sometimes happens in ArmA 2. And not only the fps is higher, it is also very stable.

4. Backstory is somewhat plausible (future war for oil after the economic crysis), but also kind of bland and boring. And somehow the war is between Russia and China about a island near Japan... and yet you still play an american soldier! Huaah! :P

5. Why the hell i have an "O" instead of a "W" in "forward" in the key setup? A small glitch, it seems, forward is W in the game, of course.

6. The game is totally translated and voiced in my idiom, spanish, unlike Arma 2.

7. The beginning is kind of confusing. You just begin already on land, in enemy territory, with some voice in the radio saying you have to make the objectives or the sunburst missiles will attack the army. Or something like that. Very in media res, but perhaps too much. Who are you? What are the objectives? Where is the key to see the objectives, in fact? Where the fuck is the complete briefing as Ofp/Arma? There isn't a proper tutorial apart from the campaign. The few tutorial snippets inserted in the first level are also confusing. Use the quick command menu? what quick command menu? there is a normal menu, apart from the quick variant? Which key?

edit: oh, tab is for the objective list.

Bad beginning, both the tutorial gameplay stuff, as the narrative (or lack of) angle.

8. Loading was brief.

9. The enemy is kind of.... sleeping. While i shoot him! I suppose because this is just the first mission, and still with the tutorial hints.

10. Animations are decent. Yeah, that's the word. Nothing bad, nothing outstanding.

11. Difficulty option sytem... i don't like it. I chose the "hardened" option, it seems like the the 2nd difficulty, between normal and hard. But it says that i will have less checkpoints! GRRR!!! BAD, CODEMASTERS, BAD! As i stated so many times, i hate checkpoint systems, so the last thing i want to do, it is to have EVEN LESS checkpoints than normal. But then i have to play with alll the onscreen and onmap noob help. Decisions, decisions. Can i change the difficulty in the middle of the campaign, anyone knows?

12. I can't switch between secondary modes ('2' key, if it is the weapon number two without having to reload the grenade launcher every freaking time. Even if there is already a grenade in the m203 inside, and i only wanted to switch again to "nomal bullets" mode.

13. Unrealistic (the first one in this list! yay! :D) grenade launcher. Without arming safety system, as so many games.

14. Organization in the order system kind of confusing. Of course it is because i still haven't memorized it, but sometimes i don't know "where" i am in the system, in what level of tier, or how should i "go up" a level (left key, up key?). Apart from that... well... i hate everything from this system :). From the fact it is clearly designed for a limited pad, not for keyboard, to how disrupt me, as it is controlled with the movement keys, so i can use WASD for a long time for my movement, and then bam! there is a moment where the WASD controls change function and are used for the menu. Oh, and also you can't move while give orders, greeeat. I still have to see if there are shortcuts for the most common orders or something like that.

15. Speaking about "i can't move while i do X", you can't move or look around or do nothing at all while scrolling your weapons/items with the mouse wheel. Most of the times you can use the numbers instead, so it isn't a big flaw, but still kind of stupid.

16. The interface to take things from corpses/boxes could be a bit better, it doesn't show what do you have in your gear or when/what weapons you are going to drop if you take a weapon.

17. As you can hear in the videos, the voices are Ofp/ArmA style, joining words... but they have done a better job, it's not so artificial.

18. And the last one, for now, the worst (for me). What will be...

You can't "toggle aim". Right mouse button is only "hold aim". I searched in the controls and there isn't a alternative (please correct me if i am wrong).

BITCHES, TOGGLE > HOLD. Even more for this kind game, where 95% of the time i am going to fire using the iron sights or scopes.

[call_911 10]

Took the risk at purchasing b4 demo well actually don't feel so bad(because i always have the other):) Just my 2 cents but how they ever thought they could compete with BI..well see for yourself...shelfing.

[ArchangelSKT 0]

Great info, have you tried co-op yet, I am curious as to if the tether limit applies on PC as well as console ?

[Arrowhead 0]

The moment that they announced they were taking the game in a different/simpler direction from OFP, I knew this would lead to epic fail. I'm sorry, but this game has provided some pretty heavy epic fail so far, there's no way around it at this point.

Arma 2 had its problems at release with bugs, but this game just has design flaws.

[froggyluv 2136]

What is shame, that most of you saying that game is bad, but still you bought or preordered game. In fact you say to publishers let do that again, again promise things that are not technically possible, lay and steal ideas, make renders and photoshoped sshots. If players ask why games look today as they look, its because that. Because lot of people are able to buy, preorder just because PR and previews at magazines that are dependend on advertising sales. Its sad, where game industry going :(

Wow, way to lay on the guilt Ohara :D

I think even with what we knew or thought we knew it's been such a buildup and in that sense an event which many have been curious and or waiting for. I automatically get a twitch to 'get something new' especially without the promised Demo release. Glad I bought Empire instead and from the sounds of everything here, CM forums and the streamcasts I've seen, I'm going to get my 5 bucks back and have a burger with my 'other' new game (Total War baby!).

[Richey79 10]

Regardless of how the game actually plays, I wonder if this represents a new nadir for a developer allocating resources to promotion rather than game design.

Allow me to remind you of this 'in game footage' which was released six months ago:

I mean, how on earth did they have the front to pass that off as anything other than a pre-render?

The second worst offence has to have been their very recent Facebook DR 'facts' including that trees would have a sophisticated destruction model and that vehicles would have an intelligent penetration system.

You wouldn't get away with lying like this in the vast majority of other industries. Yes, games like Far Cry 2 promised more than they could deliver, but there you didn't get the feeling that dev. company reps were telling bare-faced lies right up to the release date. The developers' complete silence when asked any question that makes their game look bad also smacks of utter arrogance. It seems quite unfair that CM are among the largest game devs in the UK; but I suppose that's what your reward is when you follow the almighty dollar.

- Can anyone give an example of a game that has had a more deceptive publicity campaign?

[Madus_Maximus 0]

Regardless of how the game actually plays, I wonder if this represents a new nadir for a developer allocating resources to promotion rather than game design.

Allow me to remind you of this 'in game footage' which was released six months ago:

I mean, how on earth did they have the front to pass that off as anything other than a pre-render?

The second worst offence has to have been their very recent Facebook DR 'facts' including that trees would have a sophisticated destruction model and that vehicles would have an intelligent penetration system.

You wouldn't get away with lying like this in the vast majority of other industries. Yes, games like Far Cry 2 promised more than they could deliver, but there you didn't get the feeling that dev. company reps were telling bare-faced lies right up to the release date. The developers' complete silence when asked any question that makes their game look bad also smacks of utter arrogance. It seems quite unfair that CM are among the largest game devs in the UK; but I suppose that's what your reward is when you follow the almighty dollar.

- Can anyone give an example of a game that has had a more deceptive publicity campaign?

More or less anything by EA released in the last 5 years. Oh, and UBI Soft games, more specifically, PC versions. Conole wise they seem to do decent stuff, but epicly fail on the PC side of things. God knows why or how but they manage to screw up even the most awesome ideas and potential games in the way only they know how.

[rundll.exe 12]

Someone just posted this picture on our forums, and I dont know what to say...

Clicky

Half the map seems to be "salt lake" so there is nothing on it. Yeah way to go to make a map of "unseen scale"... Just make a flat bit without objects of 5x5 km to make it bigger....

Well it saves me from digging for info for this game, because I know enough :)

[Emberwolf 0]

Regardless of how the game actually plays, I wonder if this represents a new nadir for a developer allocating resources to promotion rather than game design.

It certainly seems to.

http://community.codemasters.com/forum/showthread.php?t=382949

The disc apparently ships with locked bonus missions which are unlocked via a code depending on which retailer you purchased the game from.

It's very telling of a company like Codemasters to allocate resources to garbage like this while ignoring critical issues like the severely substandard presentation of the multiplayer features, such as a lack of joining in progress.

I'm extremely thankful I followed my gut on not preordering this game. That unspent money is going toward Operation Arrowhead (which I was going to buy anyway, but I feel better about it now).

[ProfTournesol 956]

Someone just posted this picture on our forums, and I dont know what to say...

Clicky

Half the map seems to be "salt lake" so there is nothing on it. Yeah way to go to make a map of "unseen scale"... Just make a flat bit without objects of 5x5 km to make it bigger....

Well it saves me from digging for info for this game, because I know enough :)

Mmm... i guess (hope) it depends on the view distance chosen by the player.

[rundll.exe 12]

Mmm... i guess (hope) it depends on the view distance chosen by the player.

Read his post here, all settings are @ max.

[Defunkt 431]

What is shame, that most of you saying that game is bad, but still you bought or preordered game. In fact you say to publishers let do that again, again promise things that are not technically possible, lay and steal ideas, make renders and photoshoped sshots. If players ask why games look today as they look, its because that.

This is exactly right. I'd quite like to buy it, I'm interested in the genre and the money is small compared to what I have invested in a PC that will play it, but I refuse to reward a company that has been dishonest in its marketing and has short-changed PC gamers.

[Game__On 10]

More or less anything by EA released in the last 5 years. Oh, and UBI Soft games, more specifically, PC versions. Conole wise they seem to do decent stuff, but epicly fail on the PC side of things. God knows why or how but they manage to screw up even the most awesome ideas and potential games in the way only they know how.

Probably because people downloading instead of buying games nowadays. They had to make it for consoles to make money.

So it turned out like crap.

GTA 4 on console = fun.

Millitairy sim on console = down the toilet

It's ****** up. :(

[trickster1982 10]

Regardless of how the game actually plays, I wonder if this represents a new nadir for a developer allocating resources to promotion rather than game design.

Allow me to remind you of this 'in game footage' which was released six months ago:

Thats the video that really got my hopes up about the game too, and after seeing the previous leaps in visual quality in Crysis & FarCry2 I thought it was entirely feasible! (although obviously it got me worrying my PC wouldnt be good enough)

Anyway I dont doubt that games will one day in the not too distant future look like that video & be smooth as silk, but as proved it aint gonna be this year or next & definitely not in OF: DR

[Madus_Maximus 0]

Probably because people downloading instead of buying games nowadays. They had to make it for consoles to make money.

So it turned out like crap.

GTA 4 on console = fun.

Millitairy sim on console = down the toilet

It's ****** up. :(

Nah, it helps if they actually make games worth buying. The vast majority of games out these days are pants. Nothing but shiny visuals and naff game play, to tide you over till the next slightly more shiny sequel or whatever comes around.

[maturin 12]

Someone just posted this picture on our forums, and I dont know what to say...

Clicky

Half the map seems to be "salt lake" so there is nothing on it. Yeah way to go to make a map of "unseen scale"... Just make a flat bit without objects of 5x5 km to make it bigger....

Well it saves me from digging for info for this game, because I know enough :)

Ye gods almighty! Just *compare* that to the promo videos!

[ahmedjbh 0]

What is shame, that most of you saying that game is bad, but still you bought or preordered game. In fact you say to publishers let do that again, again promise things that are not technically possible, lay and steal ideas, make renders and photoshoped sshots. If players ask why games look today as they look, its because that. Because lot of people are able to buy, preorder just because PR and previews at magazines that are dependend on advertising sales. Its sad, where game industry going :(

I would have paid around 100 pounds for arma 2 , I actually paid around 20.

I paid around 17 pounds for ofp 2. If its crap I will bin it, I dont know if others are like me, I have a good income, and 20 pounds is nothing, I spend more on on getting my hair cut every month.

My time is precious, I have more money than time (relative), so buying a game and it being rubbish its not the end of the world, Im more annoyed at the time I have wasted , rather than the money.

Thats the reality for me.

[soul_assassin 1750]

Sadly, even with all its flaws at least its playable and fun which im sad to say ArmA2 is NOT :( A2 is pretty, yes, expansive yes, but between the CTDs and glitches that kinda dies down :(

In any case I thought DR was fun, sounds are cool and the gritty atmosphere is well accomplished. Could be abit more polished but hey if we can say "Oh well, BIS will just patch it up in the next patch (eeerr !??)" then we can extend the same courtesy to DR right?

Edited October 7, 2009 by Soul_Assassin

[eenter 0]

I don't like arcade console shooters so this game doesn't interest me :(

[dm 9]

but hey if we can say "Oh well, BIS will just patch it up in the next patch (eeerr !??)" then we can extend the same courtesy to DR right?

BIS has a well prooven track record for after-care.

Codemasters on the other hand...

[kernriver 4]

All this info on DR is pretty disheartening. Some time ago I was sure I would buy it, but now...

I will still try PC demo, just to see how the game works over Leaf networks (for coop).

From the looks of it right now, it's one more game that had the chance to be something with more ambition and scope than average shooter, but failed at it.

It's CM's fault, they wanted to make "game-that-would-appeal-to-any-crowd" type of game, but I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. :(

OFFTOPIC:

IMHO, if BIS could somehow successfully port ArmA2 or Operation Arrowhaed to consoles (xbox360), they would rule the industry for a very long time...

*sigh*

[twisted 128]

DR looks like a hybrid bastard created by a marketing team trying to think how they could capture milsim and shootemup players. ends up satisfying neither.

pity, i had the money to spend but will save for next installation of arma2.