I had heard that Martin sold the videogame rights, but I thought that was still a long way away from release.
I'm not actually sure how that game would be. The books don't really focus on the action.
I'm not actually sure how that game would be. The books don't really focus on the action.
That does make me happy.
Man, if only there was a genre that wasn't all about pew-pewing at other people and using strategy instead...
I think is what you mean.
An RTS MIGHT work, since even though they aren't given much detail other than a few of them, it is about strategy, but an RPG? How exactly will that work?
Then again, I am not sure how they made the LOTR games as good as they did either.
I know i didn't read the book, but i assumed the show's (not actually shown onscreen) battles where at least inspired by something that happened in the books. And plenty of strategy games have included diplomacy... which is why i didn't use RTS and just said strategy.
As for a RPG... how much politics where there north of the Wall?
As for a RPG... how much politics where there north of the Wall?
GasBandit
Staff member
A surprising amount.
As the highlander tribes of the setting i expect their politics to at least include some head-butting...
GasBandit
Staff member
You said you didn't read the books, so I'll try to keep the spoilers down as much as possible - the wildlings have numerous different factions and leaders who might be occasionally convinced to cooperate under one leader when catastrophe threatens them all.
GasBandit
Staff member
No doubt HBO will insist they monologue their motivations while the have sex with prostitutes.
There are battles in the books, but the books are most told from the perspective of people OUTSIDE of the battles, so you just hear about them after-the-fact, for the most part. There are a few exceptions, though.
I specifically said RTS because that's what the game is. There is an RPG also coming, but its a ways off.
I'm not saying they can't work, I'm just saying it'll be interesting to see if they can make it work. Like I said, I thoguht the LOTR games were surprisingly good. Ice and Fire is mroe about politics and scheming, but its not impossible to make it work.
I specifically said RTS because that's what the game is. There is an RPG also coming, but its a ways off.
I'm not saying they can't work, I'm just saying it'll be interesting to see if they can make it work. Like I said, I thoguht the LOTR games were surprisingly good. Ice and Fire is mroe about politics and scheming, but its not impossible to make it work.
GasBandit
Staff member
It might be confusing to some who have watched the HBO series but not read the book, as the series has skipped all the battles (such as the capture of Jaime Lannister, Tyrion's leading the barbarians, etc).
In a way, the book kind of skipped some of that as well. We never really see the battle outside Riverrun, just hear about it.
Ok, don't spoil anything for me but both me and my wife are asking kind of out of frustration, does ANYTHING happen in A Feast of Crows? Geeze. After 3 books of awesomeness now it's "heres' 80 pages of what kind of clothes someone is wearing" and "now heres 500 pages of people walking from one place to another".
I mean, I'm mostly enjoying the Jaime and Cersai chapters and the sadly rare Arya chapters but almost everything else seems like he just realized he killed off all his interesting characters and now is meandering with what he has left. My wife is on Dance and she says it feels the same way.
I mean, I don't want to be debbie downer but Feast just feels.... a lot less interesting than anything he's done previously.
I mean, I'm mostly enjoying the Jaime and Cersai chapters and the sadly rare Arya chapters but almost everything else seems like he just realized he killed off all his interesting characters and now is meandering with what he has left. My wife is on Dance and she says it feels the same way.
I mean, I don't want to be debbie downer but Feast just feels.... a lot less interesting than anything he's done previously.
I actually really liked Feast. You have to remember though that Feast and Dance are both just to bridge the time gap between Storm and Winds. They are a little less eventful on the surface, but there's a lot going on when you think about it.
Remember that Feast specifically doesn't have any of the "Main" characters POV in it and instead follows the happenings in the South that lead up to about 2/3 of the way through Dance. It is a tough book to wade through but it does setup a lot that will happen later on.
I expect it's setting stuff up so I'm plowing through it but damn he's not making it easy. I don't give a shit about any of the characters except Arya, Jaime and Cersai and maybe Asha. I already know where Sansa is so Breanns story *feels* very anti-climactic so far. He's killed off everyone I found interesting or he's not following them in this book. Which is fine but it feels like he's spending more time on clothes, food and the scenery then he is on plot so it doesn't feel like it's moving forward at all.
So, like I said, I expect it's set up but it's a far cry from A Game of Thrones, which was also all set up but damn exciting set up. Reading about the political machination Ned was dealing with was a hell of a lot more interesting than reading about how dreary the road is that Breann is on. But I trust him so I plow on.
So, like I said, I expect it's set up but it's a far cry from A Game of Thrones, which was also all set up but damn exciting set up. Reading about the political machination Ned was dealing with was a hell of a lot more interesting than reading about how dreary the road is that Breann is on. But I trust him so I plow on.
I felt that way about Dance. I don't remember if I felt the same about Feast, it has been a while since I read it, and I didn't have to wait 6 years for it.
I haven't begun Storm yet, but those having issues with Feast and Dance should keep in mind that those books weren't intended to be written originally--Martin tried to write what goes on in them as flashback and found it wasn't working, so he needed to write a book to go over the events. Then it got too big and Feast was divided into Feast and Dance.
What he seems to had needed was an editor. So far it seems like these could have been one book pretty easily.
Added at: 16:13
Honestly, if the first three hadn't been so freaking amazing these wouldn't feel so mediocre. Bud damn him, he wrote 3 phenomenal books that keep the pace going and these just slow things down a ton and focus on generally undeveloped characters.
Added at: 16:13
Honestly, if the first three hadn't been so freaking amazing these wouldn't feel so mediocre. Bud damn him, he wrote 3 phenomenal books that keep the pace going and these just slow things down a ton and focus on generally undeveloped characters.
Wait, how did I not catch that when I read it?!
GasBandit
Staff member
New GoT RTS trailer up.
Gameplay seems very reminiscent of settlers 7 to me... armies of extremely small scale, limited to movement on roads between towns and landmarks, lining up to take their turns hitting each other. Kinda disappointed, but what did I expect for a tie-in game?
Gameplay seems very reminiscent of settlers 7 to me... armies of extremely small scale, limited to movement on roads between towns and landmarks, lining up to take their turns hitting each other. Kinda disappointed, but what did I expect for a tie-in game?
Seriously, certain characters could have been condensed down to one chapter because they did nothing but sigh the whole time.
Right? Honestly, it makes me worry that he's going to go the Robert Jordon route and completely forget that he is telling a story and instead spend 4 books describing things and not moving anything forward except maybe in the last chapter.Seriously, certain characters could have been condensed down to one chapter because they did nothing but sigh the whole time.
GasBandit
Staff member
Yes and no. It's not turn based, but there's also no tactics involved other than "have a bigger army."
At least, assuming it's as similar to The Settlers 7 as I think it is. There's no control over your armies any more than what units are in them and which town/landmark they are on the way to. When they meet an enemy, your only button is "retreat," otherwise you just wait and see who wins.
I wonder if it will have the same economy system.
I kind of hope that the reason there are Dragons everywhere is this is set during the time before the books when the Targaryens are still in power.
GasBandit
Staff member
That is also my interpretation - the "Genesis" in the title means "here's how it all got started." IE, it takes place during the Targaryen conquest.
Dei posted a link in this thread to an article about the game, and the article said the game takes place "... generations before Martin’s books begin..." So yeah, that makes sense. Maybe if they didn't call it Game of Thrones there wouldn't be this confusion, but what are you gonna do? They have a brand name that works now, of course they're going to use it.
The article also shed some light on my whole "how are they going to make the politics into an RTS?" thing.
I'm vaguely interested, now.
Almost makes me think of Twilight Imperium, the greatest boardgame ever.
