15 replies to this topic

[NintendoReport]

How much bigger in scope do you think X will be then Xenoblade Chronicles?

 

The video below of Xenoblade Chronicles is quite telling of the huge world and you can just about go anywhere you want.

 

 

 

 

88 megs of ram and look at the draw distance. Some serious developers at monolith soft

 

Edited by Sorceror12, 28 March 2014 - 03:50 AM.

[Mewbot]

It really is amazing what they did with the Wii. Can't believe I missed out, if they released an HD remake I'd buy it in an instant. 

Anyway, I think they've said that it'll be more than 2 times the size? I might be wrong, but I wouldn't expect any less than 2 times anyway, what with the 23 times more RAM, and the larger disk capacities.

[3Dude]

It really is amazing what they did with the Wii. Can't believe I missed out, if they released an HD remake I'd buy it in an instant. 
Anyway, I think they've said that it'll be more than 2 times the size? I might be wrong, but I wouldn't expect any less than 2 times anyway, what with the 23 times more RAM, and the larger disk capacities.

They have never given a 'size' multiplayer of the map in relation to blade, which would be rather difficult to do anyways because they have never released a statement about the actual square mileage of Xenoblades game maps.

This is what they have had to say on the matter.

"X (a tentative title) is being developed with the goal of creating a large-scale open world with “seamless exploration,” Iwata said, and that Monolith are utilizing experience gleaned while developing Xenoblade as they work on the game."

[Ghost]

It will be large but not killer large. The problem now is will this game be a hyped flop or something that gets people to buy a Wii U along with Smash? 

[storabajskorven]

It will be large but not killer large. The problem now is will this game be a hyped flop or something that gets people to buy a Wii U along with Smash? 

 

Xenoblade was already huge. And I think it will be a great game, but not something that will get people to buy a Wii U. Well, it will add to the library of the system of course, which makes buying the Wii U more attractive, so... sure.

[Raiden]

Xenoblades Bionis height is the size of Japan. In game I believe it's larger than Skyrim and Skyrim is 15-16 Square miles.  Tho Just Cause 2 and Elder Scrolls 2 dwarfs these games so bad....they make XB look like a CoD map.

Still the game is massive and it helps the game sorta tricks you into thinking it's even bigger by having you look up all the time. The whole game from outside to indoors is designed to be very vertical high ceilings and islands way high up and large Mechonis in the sky staring down at you. So adds more to the effect of it's size.

 

Can't say if X will be smaller/bigger or equal. Tho it looks larger. If it is then dang no wonder you need the dolls.

[Hank Hill]

Tho Just Cause 2 and Elder Scrolls 2 dwarfs these games so bad....they make XB look like a CoD map.

 

Eeeehhhh....to be fair (and this is coming from somebody who friggin loves Just Cause 2) JC2 had a looot of empty spaces. Sure, they were populated by trees, but a lot of those trees were the same models/textures/etc...

 

Still a wonderful game though. Amazes me to this day just how little loading times there are for such a large game.

[DexterousGecko]

Is X going to be open world style? Or more like Open world "feel" but basically linear in nature (slowly opens up as you progress through the story) I haven't played Xenoblade Chronicles, and trying to find a copy these days is painful

[Kokirii]

For those who don't have Xenoblade and would like to play it, videogamesplus.ca has it in stock for $69.99 CDN.  I just got mine in the mail a few days ago and after currency exchange it was only $68 USD including shipping.  

 

https://www.videogam...oducts_id=19956

Edited by kokirii, 28 March 2014 - 08:56 AM.

[3Dude]

DexterousGecko, on 28 Mar 2014 - 12:22 PM, said:
Is X going to be open world style? Or more like Open world "feel" but basically linear in nature (slowly opens up as you progress through the story) I haven't played Xenoblade Chronicles, and trying to find a copy these days is painful

On the sliding scale of linearity vs open world, games like xenoblade are a 5, while sandbox games like gta, or sandbox wrpg's like skyrim are a 6, and for contrast, GOOD Metroids, like super or prime 1 are 4's. I prefer 4's and 5's to 6's, because 6's are so open you literally have no influence on the game whatsoever, nothing you do has any real impact anywhere, a natural detractor to the go anywhere anytime do anything game design. Nothing great ever happens in comparison to a game with a little more director direction, plus, it allows a game progression design that blows crappy level scaling enemies and loot out of the water.

Xenoblade has a natural order of areas in which you visit, although there are new plot lines and new things to do in every single area for the entire game, with several areas changing drastically throughout the game, and drastically changing again dependant on player action. The impact you as the player have in Xenoblade is incredible. NPC's lives change based on your actions. They live, they die, their routines change, they move cities, they take up new jobs (with model changes)... All based on player actions.

Also, since crappy level scaling design isnt used, new areas in old maps that were previously too dangerous, become viable for exploration, but even better, savvy gamers can manage low level runs if they are good enough with the combat systems, and stealthy players can get some advanced goodies early in the game by sneaking through highly dangerous areas. A far more interesting proposition than just going anywhere you want and always having enemies the proper level for you to beat.
 

Xenoblades Bionis height is the size of Japan. In game I believe it's larger than Skyrim and Skyrim is 15-16 Square miles.  Tho Just Cause 2 and Elder Scrolls 2 dwarfs these games so bad....they make XB look like a CoD map.
Still the game is massive and it helps the game sorta tricks you into thinking it's even bigger by having you look up all the time. The whole game from outside to indoors is designed to be very vertical high ceilings and islands way high up and large Mechonis in the sky staring down at you. So adds more to the effect of it's size.
 
Can't say if X will be smaller/bigger or equal. Tho it looks larger. If it is then dang no wonder you need the dolls.

Its hard to measure Xenoblade for several reasons

1: The maps are very irregular
2: Many maps are double layered, tripled layered, or far more, and 3 dimensional explorable area as opposed to just surface area has to be taken into account... Almost to the point where you would have to consider cubic feet instead of square feet... Which... Will likely be something that needs to be considered for X.

However, using the hud arrow, and a measurment of 1000 game units= 1 kilometer, it turned out on average areas were 5-6 Km^2 With a few outliers 10 and over and one or two around 3.... and there were about 21 areas. It came out to a rough estimate of around 100km^2, or a little over 60 square miles. Its a good thing your characters could be gemmed to run up to like, 25 mph

Xenoblade blows skyrim out of the water.

However, games like just cause and dagger fall, as you said ARE much larger than Xenoblade.

BUT. There is a catch, these games (as well as tiny skyrim and prety much all western open world games) feature computer generated terrain. The developers fed a 'world seed' into a random number generator, and it spit out a high resolution 2d array, they used as a height map, to create the world. They then simply dropped buildings and other models and textures on top of it.

Xenoblade is the largest Handcrafted world ever created. ANd it shows, Xenoblade is FFFFFAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR more interesting a place in every conceivable way, visually, mechanically (Jump off water falls and cliffs, and bridges to get places, swim out to distant islands and landmarks) and scene composition wise (from literally any point in an outside map from xenoblade, you can rotate the camera and find a fantastic visual landscape), and things to do (Every nook and cranny in xenoblade has something, from a unique boss battle, to a hidden chest, secret areas, quest giving npc's etc)

In contrast, Terrain generated games, while realistic looking, are about as interesting to traverse as the backyard until you get to a set peice (ALL of xenoblade is set peices because its handcrafted).

X Will become the NEW largest handcrafted game world ever made, and completely seamless too boot. And the way Monolith is talking, and hiring, and with the very obvious game mechanics they are using (You are given mechs that can transform into super sonic motorcycles and speeding all terrain vehicles, to expedite transportation speed to cover more vast ground) its going to blow Xenoblade out of the water.

[Raiden]

Yeah i was only talking in size. Not saying more size always equals more interesting. Most open world games have a lot of rinse and repeat. Why I do not often get impressed with most open worlds games where XB to me from a design perspective is still far more impressive than Second Son.

[iEatTacos]

Dang, they did all that on the Wii? I'm impressed. I just might look for this game. As for the upcoming X, I'm sure it's going to be massive.

[3Dude]

Dang, they did all that on the Wii? I'm impressed. I just might look for this game. As for the upcoming X, I'm sure it's going to be massive.

 

Now would be a good time, gamespot just released a third shipment, just dont expect it to be cheap.

 

Man I wish these last 2 shipments were actually tracked, the games undoubtedly a million seller by now.

[Raiden]

Dang, they did all that on the Wii? I'm impressed. I just might look for this game. As for the upcoming X, I'm sure it's going to be massive.

 Even more impressive is a huge area was finished and left in the games code on the PAL and Japanese versions. I have yet been able to access it myself as I do have a PAL version as well.

The area you see in a cutscene. I won't say what one tho.

[tboss]

5x the size of the GTA 5 map.

[3Dude]

5x the size of the GTA 5 map.

That would be interesting. I couldnt imagine the monumental task of keeping something that large at the same content density of xenoblade, must be a truly exciting project to be working on.