The recent news that the Division franchise is getting some new games got me thinking - what makes a game a "Division" game?
Is it enough that it's set in the same universe (i.e. where SHD exists)? Does it have to be a looter shooter? Support Co-op? Have a Dark Zone? Do you have to play as an SHD agent? Does it need to be set in an urban environment?
It’s an interesting question... it could be as simple as anything with that name. What makes a Far Cry, Assassins Creed or Ghost Recon game? It’s really the premise that’s common between the various titles in each franchise. You could say that’s the universe, but it’s different. Certainly the settings, characters, and most everything else can change or evolve. But there’s a thread that connects each of these franchises... Far Cry is a FPS in a struggle to survive in a hostile environment, Ghost Recon is a third-person squad based special forces tactical shooter set in the near future. So along that lines, The Division is a third-person looter shooter set in a near future societal collapse. So it’s a bit of game design, mechanics, and premise.
But even then, there can be spin off games that are a radical departure from the main franchise. So it may be best not to think too much.![]()
Exactly, like any Elder Scroll and Elder Scrolls Online, the two things have barely anything in common.Originally Posted by Virtual-Chris Go to original post
I don't know if this answers the question you're asking, but what got me in to The Division and keeps me playing is decent cover shooting mechanics that support a variety of play styles including my usual one of working fairly slowly and carefully at range, a combat puzzle that rewards careful tactical thought and has a variety of difficulty levels, a huge number of options for loadouts and rewards for finding good loadout puzzle solutions, and an open world with lots and lots of things to progress at any rate of my choosing.
It helps that the environment is more science-fictiony than sword-and-socrcery "magical," but the story itself doesn't particularly appeal to me. I don't see my character as doing any good in the in-game world: he or she is basically just another killer roaming the streets and advancing the agenda of some power-hungry leaders. The Division seems little better than factions such as the Hyenas or the True Sons.
The world and the story, nothing more. If the mobile game that's in development is just a Farmville reskin where you take care of your settlement as an ordinary civilian 1 year after the events in NYC, I'd still very much consider it a Division game. (Although I certainly won't play it.)
I think The Division could be a great single player, linear narrative game too, as well as a 6v6 champions based shooter, or maybe even a DayZ like open world survival game.
From the article:
This opens up a lot of possibilities, but whatever it is, I feel like this sentence assures us that it isn't a looter shooter.Heartland is a standalone game that doesn’t require previous experience with the series but will provide an all new perspective on the universe in a new setting.
i was with you up until that last part. "Just another killer roaming the streets"? yeah, except we aren't killing innocent people. all the factions are seriously bad people that need to be dealt with. The game gives you countless examples of just how effed up they all are. "Advancing the agenda of some power-hungry leaders"? what leaders? division agents have the ultimate authority in a crisis situation like this. That's why rogues like Aaron keener are the real bad guys because they have the power to take us down from within. power corrupts.but the agent we play in the game is the exception to that rule . he/she has been doing their job as an agent and fighting for the lives of all the inoccent civilians in D.C. and N.Y.Originally Posted by CategoryTheory Go to original post
What authority? I spent most of the Washington and New York campaigns going and killing people as commanded by Manny, Agent Kelso, and others.Originally Posted by Metal_Greg Go to original post
Yeah. And what system produced all those rogue agents? Ah, right! The Division!That's why rogues like Aaron keener are the real bad guys because they have the power to take us down from within.
"I'm the exception" seems to be an almost inevitable excuse from corrupted people doing bad things....power corrupts.but the agent we play in the game is the exception to that rule .
ok, give me one example of our agent doing wrong.Originally Posted by CategoryTheory Go to original post
Emotion (Anger, Fear, Pain), Disaster, Struggle, Battle, Hope, Propaganda, Tragedy, Survival, Family, Symbolism, Purpose, Protection, Peace and Ola Strandh soundtrackOriginally Posted by dagrommit Go to original post
"When Society Falls We Rise - We are The Division"
Originally Posted by SuspiciousPixel Go to original post
Oh damn, I forgot that one. Yes, the soundtrack does a lot for this game!