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#1 08/19/14 17:08

SektorZ
Member
Registered: 02/21/07
Website

Just a statement regarding Oni

Heya.

I'm The SektorZ but I was simply known as "SektorZ" when I registered here more than 8 years ago (this is my 2nd or 3rd account, I keep forgetting their passwords).

I used to produce all sorts of fan-art, music, even games based on Oni, but now I just came here to make a statement with y'all. If there's anyone here anymore (completely understandable if there isn't).

It took me over 10 years of loyal fanship to realize that Oni is in fact, a crappy-ass unfinished game that had potential with the gameplay but was too rushed and unfinished to actually deserve a sequel or an actual following larger than this. Most of the cast is terrible, the game doesn't make any sense because half the story was cut, and even though I loved it more than anything for a long time, after finding out all the cast, going trough all the code, pretty much turning the whole thing inside out, reading what the programmers spoke of it, and letting my childhood impressions keep me hooked on liking it even though I couldn't force myself to play it again -- now it's time to state the obvious thing that I missed.

This game wasn't that good. It's no surprise it got overshadowed by games such as Max Payne or GTA3 at the time. I'd still love to see a sequel some day, but it's best if this time it actually has a serious cast, finished storyline, and doesn't try to rip off Ghost in the Shell (which is some anime the programmers saw and literally based the whole game on it).

Well that's that then. I still like the time we had here in this forum. We made shit happen. It was fun.

Statement's over. You're free to agree or blindly keep liking it, it took me so long, and I didn't come back to change opinions and certainly not to rain hate on the developers, who might have had something really special. I still think so. It's not though.

See y`all.

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#2 08/19/14 20:08

Iritscen
Moderator
From: NC, USA
Registered: 10/22/07

Re: Just a statement regarding Oni

Hi Sektor, long time no see.  Well, really you haven't told us anything new smile  Oni got middling review scores when it came out, as documented in OniGalore's "Oni" article.  I can't speak for all other fans, but there's been a general awareness of Oni's flaws for a long time.  I do think the story makes sense, but essentially they leave a lot unsaid (geyser called the plot "understated").  And it's well-known that the game is basically unfinished.  We've even documented the ways the game "devolved" during development on wiki pages like the "Pre-beta" articles.

That being said, every time I enter the game to test something, it's hard not to just keep playing for fun.  There aren't many games out there with this kind of gameplay, and it's the main reason that critics had anything positive to say about it at all, amidst all their criticisms.  For me, Oni is mainly about the gameplay; I was never blown away by the graphics, the music, the story or the characters.  I do, however, think that someone could really do something great with a sequel based on this game, as rough as it is.

I joined this community wanting to contribute because I saw a lot of unfulfilled potential in the game; if the game had been nice and polished, I might not have been interested in trying to make new stuff for it.  So I think that's why some of us stick around, to try to add onto the game.  I admit that after all these years we haven't produced as much "beef" as I would have liked, but at the very least it's been an educational experience.


Check out the Anniversary Edition Seven at ae.oni2.net!

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#3 08/20/14 10:08

Samer
Member
From: Lebanon
Registered: 09/04/09
Website

Re: Just a statement regarding Oni

I agree with Iritscen ...
There are times when I completely forget about Oni, play other games and all, but something keeps pulling me back to it ... I have lost some of the enthusiasm I had for modding and playing lately, but I still love it just the same, imperfections and all, and not willing to give up on it anytime soon. There are far more "sucky" games out there that got more attention.
In addition I think modding, shaping the game into what I want it to be like, (despite the limitations) has made me more attached to it .. it's my game, I love seeing my characters come to life, I love seeing the levels I made and love seeing and playing others' creations as well. Of course If i was just replaying the main levels over and over I'd be sick of it too .. but mods like zen garden keep it interesting for me, there are times when i just open it to try an animation for a character I'm making, and find myself playing instead and losing track of time.

anyway goodbye, sorry you feel that way smile


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#4 10/01/14 00:10

Gumby
Member
From: Seattle, WA, USA
Registered: 08/30/07

Re: Just a statement regarding Oni

A little late to the party but - SectorZ, you will be missed. You made some kickass stuff. As for my own opinion of oni - a main reason I like it is because it is essentially unfinished. smile Because of those missing parts I now have a job in the industrly.


Iritscen: roll
Iritscen: it's amazing this program even works
Gumby: i know
Iritscen: and that statement applies to my code, not just yours

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#5 10/05/14 06:10

Loser
Member
From: somewhere in da Czech Republic
Registered: 01/14/07

Re: Just a statement regarding Oni

Nice to see another person (you, SektorZ) who experienced similar process to mine.

However, for me personally the fact Oni is unfinished was more of a blessing than some kind of a troublesome realization I am investing my time into the underdeveloped product. Poor Bungie West devs, being used like this ^_^.

I have always enjoyed games with rich close combat, such as Double Dragon, Tekken, SoulEdge, MMPR or TMNT. Oni with its melee/guns mix was an awesome idea, immediately got me hooked. And after the euphoria settled and flaws started to be glaringly evident (animation system shortcomings, PAR3 system shortcomings, general in-game environment interaction shortcomings), the charm of this game slowly dragged me into tampering with binary data and from that into the world of C++.

Also, up to this day I don't know of any other game which mixes quite rich melee with semi-realistic gunplay and rather competent AI (sans all unfortunate AI system bugs). Contemporary A³ industry prefers AI duck range shooting with emphasis on gunplay, including some crude simplified melee. I dare to say I can see why, such a product is cheaper to manufacture gamedesign-wise and animation-wise.

So...bye bye and keep walking your own path. I walk mine outside of the Onisphere as well. However, Oni made me start thinking about gameplay elements (combat, health management, AI) which finally over the years culminated into systems I plan to use for my own project. And I will never forget the roots of all this...Oni, Bungie West, 2001.

Cheers to you, SektorZ, ^_^
Andrashi

Last edited by Loser (10/05/14 06:10)


"I am just a mere reflection of what I would be."

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#6 02/01/15 22:02

DC
Member
From: St. James, Jamaica
Registered: 07/14/14

Re: Just a statement regarding Oni

There are many old games I lost interest in but ONI is always one of my favorite first game of my life. No matter what, can't throw this game away.

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