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200°

The Planetary Variance in No Man's Sky is Perplexing

Hardcore Gamer: Even though No Man’s Sky is out in the wild, the biggest question surrounding Hello Games’ ambitious survival title is still alive and well. Everyone and their mother seems to be wondering whether or not No Man’s Sky has the legs to be the type of game that players put hundreds and hundreds of hours into. At the end of the day, this is going to come down to the amount of planetary variance in this procedural universe.

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gangsta_red2960d ago

That's one of my biggest gripes with the game. Been to 20+ planets and the terrain has mostly just changed color but nothing much more or exciting.

IRetrouk2960d ago

I have been to easy 100 if not more, there is big diffs even just in moons, some planets i have been to are compleatly barren on one side but life covered on the other/ underground ect. I think the area you are in plays apart too, also dont forget that there are diff star types you can visit with upgraded parts, i have just finished maxing my suit so am now slowly working towards getting my ship maxed once i get a 48 and the centre. So far so good.

gangsta_red2959d ago

That is hard to believe, I have been to enough planets (not 100), but enough to know that one side of the planet's terrain is exactly like the other side. The biggest issue though is nothing is exciting on the planet, no huge ocean covered planet with huge waves due to moons being close to the planet. Or no volcanic planets, gas giants, no planet that has a strange tilt axis or just anything that you read about in any astronomy article.

And maxing my suit and ship is one of the most mundane tasks I have ever subjected myself to in gaming history. It actually surpassed the Shenmu go to work meta game all those years ago.

Kirchh772959d ago

@Gangsta- that's why this game needs to succeed so other company's build from this games premise. If everybody dogs it and it fails then that makes it harder for any other dev to take a risk w this genre. Will be mighty tough to get a game w NMS's ambition together w other ideas like extreme environments and different biomes if devs see NMS take such a big hit by critics. It'll cause devs to think twice before making that leap. Anybody that wants more depth needs to get behind this game so we don't shut the door on this genre for consoles. Bc if u don't get behind it and u want a game like NMS but w more then u are only hurting your chances of seeing that materialize.

gangsta_red2959d ago

@Kirchh

"that's why this game needs to succeed so other company's build from this games premise."

Yes and no, I would like other companies to see this and add on to this premise most definitely but what I don't want to see are companies that think they can promote and strut one feature to be proud of and then give us a game filled with mundane tasks repeated over and over again like with NMS.

"If everybody dogs it and it fails then that makes it harder for any other dev to take a risk w this genre."

I think devs will read WHY it was dogged out and criticized and if it's a good dev they will not make that mistake with the next game. For example, Dragon Age 2, the game was atrocious for a lot of it's design decisions but that team took it and rectified a lot of the criticisms they received and fixed them for 3.

"Will be mighty tough to get a game w NMS's ambition together..."

I am positive that there's a dev already at work that are trying to top NMS. Remember NMS is not the first to have an exploration type game I am sure they'll be many after NMS.

"Anybody that wants more depth needs to get behind this game..."

I disagree completely, depth isn't the issue for this game. It's the monotonous tone, the repetitive gameplay, the horrible UI, the many features that seem unfinished or aren't there, the last thing I want to do is get behind a dev and have them and others think that they can push whatever on us only because it seems new or different, I want them to know it also has to be good.

IRetrouk2959d ago

Funny cause i literaly just left a planet that was diff on the oposite side, and there are ocean worlds because ive been on them too, i know you are being overcritical and i know why but at least you are constructive, more physics would be great, did you try visiting diffrent star types yet?

gangsta_red2959d ago

@Iretrouk

Honestly, it's not even the physics that is the main complaint for me for the game. It's the repetitive gameplay and lack of engagement with aliens or story that has really put me off more than anything about this game. I don't think I am being over critical, the game lacks in a lot of areas that kept it from being as great as I had hoped.

IRetrouk2959d ago

I can agree that it can be a repetitive game but every game is thats just the way it is, for me hunting out the words for the aliens is great and am having fun with it, so far the game is what i expected although i did follow the game from the start so knew what i was and wasnt getting.

remixx1162959d ago

@red

LOL that shenmue meta, damn red you a true og huh.

Yetter2958d ago

from everything I've played and seen, the biomes are the same across the entire planets. Its a cool tech demo, but it gets boring pretty quickly

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 2958d ago
yeahokwhatever2959d ago

just think they need to work on the caves and whats inside them. caves are generally exactly the same on every planet

Aenea2959d ago (Edited 2959d ago )

That was actually a bit of a let down for me, yeah, they look great but all the same...

Aenea2959d ago

Complete and utter nonsense... But hey, keep on being negative about it...

gangsta_red2959d ago (Edited 2959d ago )

Let me change that, I don't think I am being negative, just very disappointed about a game I was looking forward too.

Aenea2959d ago

Like I replied to you in another article, there's plenty of variation but if you don't like the game enough from the get go to actually make it to them then yeah, you indeed don't see them.

From all the complaints there's absolutely nothing that I can think of besides the silly meeting other players bit that has been shown in the trailers that's not in the game. Giant animals that do sorta feel like they could be on earth, small critters, I've seen animals chase another species, yes, of course they could have upped the simulation a heck of a lot, I do also miss gas giants and he indeed wanted to include them. Heck, there was proper planet rotation but they dialed that way down since it was apparently confusing the play testers (this is from change notes)...

Besides, name a game and I will hunt down a trailer that's showing something in a certain way that isn't exactly in that game either, but with those no one seem to care...

Anyhoo, do a Steam refund or something and forget about the game and don't repeat the stupid drivel some people seem to be spouting all over the internet which is untrue for like 99%.

gangsta_red2959d ago

I am glad that you are having a great time with the game but it appears your experiences are way different from mine.

"Besides, name a game and I will hunt down a trailer..."

And what would that prove? That wouldn't suddenly change my own experiences or expectations of this game now would it?

"Anyhoo,..."

I have a better idea, how about you don't pay attention to the valid complaints and criticisms most are having with the game, since they seem to upset you so much. Don't try and force your own experiences as more truthful and without any type of bias only because you like the game. The "stupid drivel" you also post sounds like 100% of the excuses I read from some on the net that are only here to defend such a poor game.

thornh2959d ago

There is no proper planet rotation. If you land on a planet on the light side and wait there is a day/night cycle. If you then launch into space on the dark side the star in the system will indeed be on the other side of the planet. However, the planet itself does not rotate. The skybox that contains the image of the star and the background graphics rotates. There were two planets visible in the daytime sky when I landed. The same two planets were in the same exact location in the sky at night. There is no planetary rotation. I agree with the critics on this one.
And I also agree about planetary diversity and flora/fauna diversity. It is lacking. Though everything gets cataloged as a "new" species most things are virtually identical planet to planet. Obviously Hello Games made this entire game with a staff of 16 people or so. I would suggest they hire additional artists to work on new textures and artwork for creatures. The procedural generation is great but if there are limited resources for the math to choose from there will be limited variety overall. I will stick with NMS. Adding more variety and texture to the game should be something HG can achieve with updates.

ziggurcat2959d ago

Somehow I don't think the 20+ planets you visited are representative of the other 18 quintillion planets that are in the game...

and what's so hard to believe about retrouk's experience of the game? just because you didn't experience those things yet, doesn't mean that they wouldn't exist in the specific galaxy that was generated for you. by all means, be disappointed with the minute portion of the galaxy you had explored, but don't be so incredulous as to think that that's what everyone else is going to experience as well.

gangsta_red2959d ago (Edited 2959d ago )

"...of the other 18 quintillion planets that are in the game... "

How unfortunate then that somewhere in that 18 quintillion will be a planet that is actually exciting. Sad that the mundane tasks presented in gameplay will keep me from ever finding out this.

"and what's so hard to believe about retrouk's experience of the game?"

Because I have not seen a stream, pic, or anything else that would suggest otherwise. What I have seen from pics, streams and others who have actually played the game are the types of terrains that have very little variations from one another.

"be disappointed with the minute portion of the galaxy you had explored,"

How about you ziggurcat how many hours have you put in? What are your experiences with the variety of the planets you visited? Or are you here to add nothing to the discussion as usual? For that reason I think I'm going to have to start just ignoring your constant replies.

IRetrouk2959d ago

Would be easy enough to get you some if you want, i seem to get a good mix of planets even within the same system, also you still havnt said if you have visited other types of stars other than the first and only ones you can untill you upgrade

ziggurcat2959d ago (Edited 2959d ago )

"How unfortunate then that somewhere in that 18 quintillion will be a planet that is actually exciting..."

Sure, it's unfortunate that you didn't run into anything exciting. Doesn't mean it did not exist in your galaxy.

"Because I have not seen a stream, pic, or anything else that would suggest otherwise..."

Still doesn't mean that retrouk's account of his experience didn't happen simply because nothing you have encountered or seen came close to what he's mentioned.

"How about you ziggurcat how many hours have you put in? What are your experiences with the variety of the planets you visited?"

That's irrelevant.

"Or are you here to add nothing to the discussion as usual? For that reason I think I'm going to have to start writing you off."

All I've said was that you can't take what you've experienced (which, based on what you've described, had barely scratched the surface of what's in the game), take that to mean that that's what everyone else is experiencing, and just be flippantly unwilling to believe in anyone else's specific experience based on a tiny fraction of the hand that was dealt to you.

There's nothing wrong with being disappointed, but you should learn to be a lot more open-minded, and less dismissive of other people's accounts of the game just because you had a less-than-desirable experience. That's it. It's not a personal attack on you.

gangsta_red2959d ago (Edited 2956d ago )

"That's irrelevant."

That's the problem, your comments are irrelevant. I know you're not attacking me personally but your also not adding anything to the discussion. You're only here to argue.

It's hard to believe given my experiences and the others that also played the game that I know. I never called him a liar or anything of the sorts so again, why are you here taking a small portion of what I said and turning it into such a huge issue?

You have no experiences, no examples, absolutely nothing to add to the actual game conversation which we are talking about.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2959d ago
ITPython2959d ago

@gangsta - nice try, but you clearly have not played the game and are attempting to spread misinformation. The varience in the planets is crazy, only bitter xb1 trolls would like to believe the only difference is the color of the sky or grass.

Wishful thinking on your part I'm afraid.

2959d ago
pcz2959d ago

the game got 6/10 average for a reason. just a pointless planet generator

i would file the game under: shovelware

2959d ago
IRetrouk2959d ago

Im sure you have also defended games that got low scores from reviews, so this week they matter, next week they wont again, at least play the game before talking pure crap.

Aenea2958d ago

It has a 71/100 average...

Aenea2958d ago

Then once again, instead of complaining that you haven't seen pictures of the things you believe aren't in the game, give me a list of things you want to see screens/videos of?

I've seen so many gorgeous planets it's crazy! Just tell me what you want to see and I will show you proof.

Don't say that your own experience and of the ones you've seen streams off means it is like that all the time. Yes, if I would've been streaming my gameplay all the time there would've been parts that would have had the same experience as you describe, but the other half would consist of the stuff you say isn't in there!

Just admit that the game is not for you. You admit you feel it's boring, fair enough, that means you don't feel the urge to continue and actually find the stuff that is actually out there but don't say stuff that is not true. You're wasting a lot of time in all these NMS articles to get your point across and it's silly.

gangsta_red2956d ago

"...give me a list of things you want to see screens/videos of?"

I have more than given enough examples and talked about it and again what would be the point? Would it finally convince you on how terrible I believe the game is? Would you somehow sleep better at night knowing the game in my opinion didn't live up to its potential.

You seem to be overly concerned with what I think of the game.

"Just admit that the game is not for you."

Lmao, I am absolutely positive in the many comments I have left in this very thread that I have been saying this all along. I mean my gawd, do you want me to hold your ear open and scream that I think the game is terrible to somehow convince you that I think it is?

"You're wasting a lot of time in all these NMS articles to get your point across and it's silly."

I'm not wasting my time at all, you seem to be the one wasting yours by asking me to tell you how bad I think this game is over and over again. I would be more than happy though to keep explaining to you how this game is utter shit if you like.

Aenea2956d ago

Ahh, but you still never answered my question about listing the things you feel that are missing. Seems to me that you can't or are worried that you will be proven wrong, instead you just keep on spewing the same crap over and over.

I'm done with you.

gangsta_red2956d ago

"Seems to me that you can't or are worried that you will be proven wrong,"

Proven wrong about what? When did I even focus on missing features and why are you so obsessed with a list from me. I told you many times that the game sucks, it's shit and yet you keep coming back and wanting to hear how much I didn't like the game. I been told you to not pay attention to me and yet here you are.

Seriously, do us both a favor (mainly me) and be done.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 2956d ago
mamotte2959d ago

Oh man, the number of dislikes here will be awesome, but there, I'll say it: This game is a big letdown for me. Don't get me wrong, I know the game is about exploring at all, but after visiting a lot of planets, I ended up by feeling that I was just in some creature model generator with random background. It sounds obvious, I know, but I was expecting a bit more of interactivity. I mean, carnivorous, herbivorous, insects, they're all the same. And you just feed'em or kill'em. In the lucky moment you find more than one species in the same planet, they dont interact at all.

I'm not a game developer, but come on. Spore, a really old game at least had predators, chain foods. I think the size of this game is also it's biggest enemy. Personally, I'd prefer it to be the size of a solar system like ours: 8-9 planets. Explore it all, generate a new one. Everyone of a really big size, with various lifeforms, and proper behavior for every animal, more than appearance and movement. A winged tiger? Let it chase, I don't know, snakecows. Let it food their children. Also, the planets on NMS... yeah, there are some variants, but after a long time they feel like color swaps. Maybe add some climate changes, storms, sand storms, clouds... also, in NMS the planet itself doesn't affect life. It affects your status, but then you find a planet with 100x gravity... populated by deer leg creatures. It just doesn't make sense.

It was ok and... exciting at first, but after a while it has become more of a showcase of weird animals with random background, that just doesn't feel alive at all.

Sorry about the bad english.

Skate-AK2959d ago (Edited 2959d ago )

Your English was actually written better than a lot of native English speakers that I run into.

Yetter2958d ago

Pretty much my thoughts exactly. And your English is fine. Don't stress about it

60°

Aquarius Update - No Man's Sky

Hello Everyone!

Today, we are very excited to introduce the Aquarius Update!

This latest expansion to No Man’s Sky is free to download for existing players, and introduces something that felt like the perfect complement to the new water introduced in WORLDS PART I – fishing!

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50°

Burned by Starfield? No Man's Sky's Expedition 14 is a better gateway into space

If you've been on the fence over which space sim to pick, here's why No Man's Sky's Expedition 14 is a better choice than Starfield.

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380°

No Man's Sky Fans Are Fed Up With Inventory Management And "Lifeless" Planets

Lifeless planets, repetitive dialogue, and constant inventory organization are just a few things No Man's Sky players wish were better.

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spambot081559d ago

the opposite: too much life as far as i'm concernd. similar to real space, finding lifeforms should be absolute rarity. if let's say they made life-hubs and the rest is empty 99% of the time, i wouldn't mind.

jwillj2k459d ago (Edited 59d ago )

This sounds good in theory, but at the end of the day we’re playing a video game. While you may be a purist, most gamers want to be entertained, rightfully so. A game slider could take care of this but the real problem is the value of said interactions.

People want no mans mass effect: gta edition

smolinsk59d ago

Couldn't agree more. The excitement and magical feeling of finding life should be really rare. But with today's gamers that don't want anything to be a challenge it's not gonna happen unfortunately.

NotoriousWhiz59d ago (Edited 59d ago )

Some of us play video games to escape reality. Too much realism will not appeal to us. Most importantly for me, is that I need games to respect my time. Padding for the sake of padding is not worth it for my limited gaming time.

KaoticBrock59d ago

How does not finding life make it more challenging?

Tapani59d ago (Edited 59d ago )

I also think that these types of games have a problem: They keep changing all the time! I bought the game, tried it when it came out, and dropped it. Tried it once more, wasn't there yet, but it was almost a different game. I just keep waiting for it to become the final version so that I can play it from start to finish finally, a form that does not change anymore.

I don't like games being continuously developed, especially space games. In the old days you got games like MegaTraveller or Elite II: Frontier. They felt vast, but were complete, and still confined in the right ways, not too open for their own good.

I think some space games are way too open, they should be more restricted, who wants to aimlessly wander in dark and cold -270C space that kills everything and everything that floats out there other than special human-made materials, certain particles, rocks, light and dark matter. It should be tied to discovery of something meaningful to the story and the characters. Who do you wander for, and why? Why is it important? Who really does care if you get to the goal? It's the journey of those emotions that make stories interesting, and space games would do well not to forget it.

Humans simply don't like stuff that does not have humans (or at the very least humanoids!) as the center of everything. Non-human stuff becomes alien and impossible to relate to. Even animations about toys or monsters understand this, they put human characters into that form to make them interesting and relatable. Games should do the same.

No Man's Sky's biggest problem is that it is too "alien" to me, there's nothing to relate to. It's just aimless wandering. No matter how good or complex the systems are, or how many multiple vast the worlds there are, I can't relate to any of it if there's no humanly relatable drama in it.

isarai59d ago

I mean that's how it was at first, but like a couple years after they did that 1st massive overhaul update that changed all the biomes which made baren planets waaaay less common. I also miss the original crafting system, the current one is just iver convoluted for no damn reason

Adrian_v0159d ago

Second that. Discovery in Elite dangerous felt way more rewarding and that game is barren as hell in comparison

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Armyofdarkness59d ago

I started this again but then after 5 ish hours I realized it’s the same game still. That’s on me, I recognize it’s good but not my cup of tea. Awesome to see the devs supporting it and I’ll check out their next game for sure because there’s something here!

QuarkZ59d ago

Yup, it's a freaking bore and they made it completely opposite to what it was supposed to be at first, which I guess makes sense, they catered to the few players remaining.
It still all just feel like doing the same things over and over, just getting new resources.

RaiderNation59d ago

The problem I have is the environments arent interesting and varied enough to carry it when exploration and discovery are supposed to be the selling points. The game is a million miles wide and an inch deep. And frankly, the game needs more planetary combat besides sentinels and hostile wildlife. I'm not saying it needs to be Destiny, but there needs to be a middle ground between this game and that game.

Abear2159d ago

The grind is real and crafting and gathering resources by grinding are too much for me, already spent too much time hearing that laser…eventually you do unlock tools that ease the grind, but this is the gameplay loop and it hasn’t changed with this update.

RaiderNation59d ago (Edited 59d ago )

Agreed. For as much as they've changed/added to this game since launch, the one thing they haven't changed at ALL is the tedious gameplay loop! It always cracks me up that when using the refinery, the game makes you wait literal time for it to complete. Something like that should just be instant. There's no value in making you wait around for materials to be produced. It's a completely arbitrary task.

I swear this game must be for OCD people on the spectrum lol.

LucidIllusion59d ago (Edited 59d ago )

Only the dumb people are complaining about a game that simulates reality. Please take up another genre of gaming where you're more equipped to speak on and enjoy. Most people don't deserve opinions. Why not play the inferior Starfield?

thesoftware73059d ago

Lucid:

"Most people don't deserve opinions"

Then you proceeds to give your opinion.

"Why not play the inferior Starfield?"

Me thinks someone thinks a bit too highly of themselves smh.

LucidIllusion38d ago

Actually I stated a fact. That's not an opinion. I'm quite reasonably sound btw.

Aussiesummer59d ago

I'm really hoping there next game has missions and things to do and considering it's on one planet then perhaps it will.

Daeloki59d ago

It has missions, as in bounties set out by space stations and outlaw stations, but also longer expeditions that are more or less seasonal.

Aussiesummer57d ago

the game is nowhere near out yet so what the hell are you on?

Daeloki56d ago

"the game is nowhere near out yet so what the hell are you on?"

My bad, I thought you were implying NMS doesn't have missions.

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