Free roam | Forums

[MisterWillow]

I mean, this is probably just a difference of opinion and perspective, but I've grow tired of Ubisoft over the years because every big game they put out is basically the same 'open world with some collectibles and a story' game. Assassins Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, The Crew, The Division, even the new Ghost Recon. I know those last two have co-op/multiplayer that could differentiate them, and I admit to not following them that closely, so I could be wrong about them, but even so, that's pretty homogeneous in terms of basic game design, and I don't think it would hurt to have one franchise in their lineup (besides Rainbow Six) that isn't an open world game.

I think it would be more interesting to put the Art of Battle (or something like it) into Assassin's Creed.

[VernalBreak]

I absolutely agree that art of battle would be cool in assassin's creed! However I would still like at least a small free roam on for honor. I do see your point of how it is mostly focused on the sieges, 1v1 combat etc, but just roaming around a little area killing npcs with the art of battle system and using an awesome medieval character would be really cool.

[MisterWillow]

To be fair, they haven't given any details about the campaign, so the areas therein could be very large, They could encompass whole towns or sections of cities, and so could facilitate your desire for free roam.

[VernalBreak]

I would like that!

[Be1dou]

I mean, this is probably just a difference of opinion and perspective, but I've grow tired of Ubisoft over the years because every big game they put out is basically the same 'open world with some collectibles and a story' game. Assassins Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, The Crew, The Division, even the new Ghost Recon. I know those last two have co-op/multiplayer that could differentiate them, and I admit to not following them that closely, so I could be wrong about them, but even so, that's pretty homogeneous in terms of basic game design, and I don't think it would hurt to have one franchise in their lineup (besides Rainbow Six) that isn't an open world game.

I absolutely agree that art of battle would be cool in assassin's creed! However I would still like at least a small free roam on for honor. I do see your point of how it is mostly focused on the sieges, 1v1 combat etc, but just roaming around a little area killing npcs with the art of battle system and using an awesome medieval character would be really cool.

Here's my take on this discussion. I completely share MisterWillow's fatigue and amnesty regarding Ubisoft's style of formulaic open-world games that seems to have been over done in the gaming industry the past decade, BUT, I don't believe THAT, in itself, is a bad thing. Ubisoft's formulaic open-world design simply works, and it generally pays off. That's why they keep doing it. I've played, beaten, and enjoyed all of the AC games. I got a kick out of Watch_Dogs and the FC series as well. These franchises sells millions, and a lot of the success is due to their open-world design.

But to the point, I honestly think a free-roam mode (the kind you're describing, VernalBreak) is the last thing For Honor needs. From a development POV, the last thing they want is a mode to compete with their selling point of the game, which is PvP. They can't create a campaign with elements that will overshadow MP. Instead, they need to create an experience that's just enough. Something that's worth the $60 for those who aren't a fan of MP, but not enough to throw off the mode entirely. It also needs to advertise it. I hope that isn't confusing. Like, when you play AC prior to Unity, the MP is substantial and the gameplay is fleshed out, but it does not overshadow the main portion of the game itself. In a way, it makes you want to jump back into the main game with the way it plays around with the setting and characters. I think, if For Honor has an open-world free-roam mode/campaign, the other modes such as MP would feel more trivial, you know.

There are ways they can implement free-roam into the game (like the tutorial mode), but a way that's comparative to AC would be for the worse, IMO.

I think it would be more interesting to put the Art of Battle (or something like it) into Assassin's Creed.

Oh, god, YES, please. AC is in dying need of a good combat system. Everything since the first one have either been decent or poor. I like Unity's strive to make the combat challenging, but the gameplay was clunky and sluggish. Syndicate's combat system feels like an underdeveloped version of AC3/IV's, but more unrealistic and flashier.

I don't mean to get off-topic, but I've always wanted to see AC implement the AOB system. It could be the best of both world for the fans. There will be fodders to chain kill and easily hack through for the half that loves the power fantasy aspect, and the few tough guys that requires locking onto for the other half who thoroughly enjoys a challenge like myself.

[VernalBreak]

I think that if there ever was an Arno sequel or anything like it art of battle would be awesome. On for honor topic if there is not free roam there has to be at least something single player with replayability even just killing bots. I love multiplayer but multiplayer only would get tiring.

[MisterWillow]

I think that if there ever was an Arno sequel or anything like it art of battle would be awesome. On for honor topic if there is not free roam there has to be at least something single player with replayability even just killing bots. I love multiplayer but multiplayer only would get tiring.

The devs have said that you can play multiplayer matches offline with all bots. I don't know if that helps or not, though.

[VernalBreak]

I enjoyed bot-killing in chivalry medieval warfare. However chivalry had bad graphics and a choppy fighting system so I want for honor.

[Be1dou]

The thing about free-roam in Ubisoft's open-world games are that they adhere to the open-world aspects in a very bland and formulaic way. They focus more on creating a huge open-world area and populating it with stuff instead of the other way around. So the activities we get tends to be trivial and uninspiring. I imagine in For Honor's case, we'll have activities like striking down 12 dummies within 1-2 minutes on a training ground. Or running from point A to point B to deliver an important letter within the time limit. Maybe even hunting and killing a group of nearby invaders at its best. We can sink almost a hundred hours into these things, but I strongly believe the pay-off will be nowhere near rewarding as doing a bunch of offline MP game modes. At least those things were developed with care and admiration.

Oh geez, I seem pessimistic... I mean, I could be wrong. I don't mean to dismiss the idea. I'd be positively surprise if there IS free-roam, but because it's a Ubisoft title, I'm kind of leaning towards caution until we see something.

[VernalBreak]

That does kinda sound pesimistic. I personally love their free roam as I invest maybe 50 hours in a non open world game while I spend simply too much of my life on freee roam. I still like the idea of a town or something to free roam.