It's called wanting the cake and eating it too. "We are just making fun of it. I swear, ahah! Here, have a naked little girl."
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Idea Factory: The Devil of RPG Makers?
- Thread starter HGH
- Start date
It's called wanting the cake and eating it too. "We are just making fun of it. I swear, ahah! Here, have a naked little girl."
Those pics are from a spin-off that was not developed by CH and in this game you can date the characters. This does not happen on any other game in the Neptunia series.
While the main games have 1 scene which is fanservice, even the characters make fun of it by saying it's "obligatory".
I believe the only series that CH has that is more fan service is the Monster Monpiece/Moero Chronicles series. Neptunia, Fairy Fencer, Omega Quintet have a few aspects of it, but are not defined by it. I have not played Agarest to know it's content.
The apparent outrage it causes amongst some makes me wish for IF to enjoy many more years of success.
You should give them a try, Re;Birth 1 is often very cheap on Steam.
Pretty much how I feel about all of this :T
I was actually genuinely surprised. I didn't care much for their games, but someone gifted me Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 and as far as RPGs go it's very high quality. Also pretty funny and not nearly as fan-service filled as I was led to believe. I checked out the Neptunia Victory II demo on the Japanese PSN and it was pretty good as well.
That being said, their other games don't have a whole lot of appeal to me. But I'm keeping an eye on the Neptunia games now, at least.
That being said, their other games don't have a whole lot of appeal to me. But I'm keeping an eye on the Neptunia games now, at least.
I have nothing against them but it's not really high quality when they keep using the same dungeons with sometime a few more or less paths, sometimes in the same chapter.
I actually heard the same dungeons present Rebirth 1 would also be present in 2 and 3 (with texture changes maybe) which reinforce my statement.
Does this happen later? I'm not terribly far in due to the Four Job Fiesta, but I haven't seen a repeat dungeon yet. Actually had a few optional dungeons open up.
It's obvious their games aren't very high budget, but they're not nearly as mediocre as I was led to believe. I wouldn't pay for something like Record of Agarest War or it's prequel tho.
It happens really fast, chapter 2 or 3 already feature recycled dungeons as far as i remember.
Yup, a lot of reused assets.
That's why I do not recommend playing the series in one go. Give some time between the titles and it should be fine.
That's unfortunate, but the base combat system is good enough so as long as it's not egregious, unchallenging boredom, I'm not too bothered.
Gunstar Ikari
Unconfirmed Member
I was mainly referring to fanservice, not gameplay quality. You can argue that the complaints about fanservice are overblown (they are in Nep's case), but can you really say that IF in general have been getting "better" in that regard? They've just gotten wiser in terms of knowing what won't fly in the West.
HawthorneKitty
Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
The chatting is like the only good part...
Gunstar Ikari
Unconfirmed Member
The rehashed micro-dungeons are a bummer and one of the majors flaws of Neptunia as a whole. It feels like they should be able to offer a variety of backdrops or at least different layouts, but I suppose the reuse is how they stay profitable.
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
ScatheZombie
Member
I picked up Monster Monpiece and Omega Quintet in the PSN sale.
Despite the weird-as-fuck rubbing mechanic, Monpiece is actually a pretty solid game.
And my wife seems to be having a blast with Omega Quintet.
They make niche games for a niche market. If you don't fall into that market, you'll probably think the games are shit. Gust suffers this same problem with their non-Atelier franchises and slightly less so with Atelier because it has slightly wider appeal.
Despite the weird-as-fuck rubbing mechanic, Monpiece is actually a pretty solid game.
And my wife seems to be having a blast with Omega Quintet.
They make niche games for a niche market. If you don't fall into that market, you'll probably think the games are shit. Gust suffers this same problem with their non-Atelier franchises and slightly less so with Atelier because it has slightly wider appeal.
Spyder_Monkey
Banned
You only think they make good games.
I can't really hate Idea Factory.
I mean, they didn't make top tier content but how could they be promising that much? Look at the price tag.
When Agarest was ported to Steam, I wasn't really interested until I saw the price tag.
Played it for a bit, went past 2-3 chapters and got bored.
It was okay at that price, the formula got too grindy and boring but I felt it was a genuine budget effort with a simple waifu mechanics in rpg.
A friend gifted me Neptunia a few months back.
I don't feel like playing it. XD but really anyone thinking Idea Factory is detrimental the genre need to take a step back and calm down.
Just don't buy their stuff, but I doubt they're going out of business anytime soon.
I mean, they didn't make top tier content but how could they be promising that much? Look at the price tag.
When Agarest was ported to Steam, I wasn't really interested until I saw the price tag.
Played it for a bit, went past 2-3 chapters and got bored.
It was okay at that price, the formula got too grindy and boring but I felt it was a genuine budget effort with a simple waifu mechanics in rpg.
A friend gifted me Neptunia a few months back.
I don't feel like playing it. XD but really anyone thinking Idea Factory is detrimental the genre need to take a step back and calm down.
Just don't buy their stuff, but I doubt they're going out of business anytime soon.
I was talking about the "JRPG are being fixed now" since JRPG have been thriving in the handheld space and some of the best are there... but I guess they don't count as always.
Also, I don't know how good or bad the CH + IF games because I haven't played any of them in the past...
cj_iwakura
Member
You're digging yourself a hole here if you really expect people to believe Neptunia's design isn't intended to sexualize an underage design.
The other one, maybe, but Neptunia is sheer why don't you have a seat over there territory.
I don't really want to debate Neptune, but I'm sure there are plenty of people on here who think Vert (the other one) looks 12 years old as well, as they would for almost any anime girl.
Mr. Nice_Guy
Member
All the power to you for liking what you like, but I could just post any random screen shot and disprove your "not pervy" theory, no offense. It's pretty blatant.
I don't think they've ruined anything, but they are definitely bottom of the barrel for me. I've watched some of my more "moe/lolli" appreciating friends play them and I haven't seen anything in them that interests me, even gameplay wise.
But hey if the vatican loves it who am I to condemn?
Or was that proven to be fake?
cj_iwakura
Member
I'm sure plenty more consider the first image the real problem, and that's just as common in IF games.
This is Neptune design:
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net...av10-1-.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120426082227
Keeping away from the spin-off that was made by other company, is this sexualized ?
Because this is what you will see on 99% on your play time in the main games.
These occurences are not that common on their games and all scenes are skippable if it bothers players that much.
InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
What the fuck dude?
yikes
I don't like their games, but they release so often that I can respect them actually making console JRPGs and not taking 5 years to do it.
What does this even mean?
What does this even mean?
What?
And I like their games, pretty much the only "new" Japanese games I managed to get to run with Wine in GNU/Linux without any effort in a minute.
Absolutely out of line.
Gunstar Ikari
Unconfirmed Member
Well, maybe the solution is to remove everyone except Vert and Rei and rebuild the series around them.
I can dig it.
CielTynave
Member
Someone explain, based on the reaction I'm too afraid to look it up myself.
It's always too soon when you tell an awful joke like that.
I'd have to drop the series if that happened.
Necromanti
Member
They're a symptom of the current state of Japanese RPGs, not the cause. I don't have a problem with people enjoying their games, even if they're not for me. They know their market and how to be financially successful.
Idea Factory have made garbage since day 1 and continued to vomit onto the gaming scene relentlessly.
With every release, I thought their games might improve.. nope; completely disappointed every time. It's like they don't understand basic game mechanics and their purpose.
It's only in the past two years or so they've seen some improvements (it only took a decade? two?), but they're still literally bottom of the barrel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_Factory
So many bad titles, and not because of the low ball fan-service either. It's their constant badly hashed out ideas (the irony) for game mechanics that frustrates me.
There really aren't too many developers I can recall with such infamy. Usually you see a developers track record and they have one or two smash hits, some budget titles, maybe a buggy broken one. Idea Factory's line up is more like an assault of repeated failures through not understanding what makes for a fun game.
With every release, I thought their games might improve.. nope; completely disappointed every time. It's like they don't understand basic game mechanics and their purpose.
It's only in the past two years or so they've seen some improvements (it only took a decade? two?), but they're still literally bottom of the barrel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_Factory
So many bad titles, and not because of the low ball fan-service either. It's their constant badly hashed out ideas (the irony) for game mechanics that frustrates me.
There really aren't too many developers I can recall with such infamy. Usually you see a developers track record and they have one or two smash hits, some budget titles, maybe a buggy broken one. Idea Factory's line up is more like an assault of repeated failures through not understanding what makes for a fun game.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I find the sexy-innocent juxtapositions in the aesthetic design of the Neptunia games to be actively distasteful and nothing I've seen or heard of them has convinced me there's really anything worthwhile in the plot or the mechanics unless you're the kind of person who enjoys video game references and the kind of banal negahumor of a certain kind of anime cast. So my impression of the studio is fairly negative overall since those are the games they're most famous for at the moment
Looking over the list of other titles nothing really convinces me otherwise, at least at first glance. But no, they're not "ruining RPGs" by any stretch of the imagination. They're a symptom, not a cause
Looking over the list of other titles nothing really convinces me otherwise, at least at first glance. But no, they're not "ruining RPGs" by any stretch of the imagination. They're a symptom, not a cause
I kind of stay away from niche RPGs specifically because of companies like Compile Heart. Looking at any Neptunia footage and the pandering just makes any interest I have fall into the basement. Up until the PC release of the first Neptunia, I always end up laughing at the footage, too. Not because it's funny, but because there's no rhyme or reason that it performs so fucking poorly.
That said, I have tried games made by Nippon Ichi, who's also focused on niche games, and the few titles I played seemed okay. I believe their later Disgaea games have been criticized for being too pandering, but I've only played the first Disgaea, the first Prinny, and am currently playing La Pucelle. Disgaea 5 already looks to be the ugliest game coming to PS4, but I imagine it's because the developer can't handle making 3D games well, yet.
That said, I have tried games made by Nippon Ichi, who's also focused on niche games, and the few titles I played seemed okay. I believe their later Disgaea games have been criticized for being too pandering, but I've only played the first Disgaea, the first Prinny, and am currently playing La Pucelle. Disgaea 5 already looks to be the ugliest game coming to PS4, but I imagine it's because the developer can't handle making 3D games well, yet.
HawthorneKitty
Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
What makes a fun game?
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Messing about with their stuff, I think I had my fill for the most part. A bit peeved about the framerate really but oh well. It's clear to me from playing those games, as well as other comments, they're low budget RPGs. On the flip side, given the amount that they pump out, it's rather commendable that they're capable of doing it, given how much we've lost.
That being said, I'm not blind enough to yell that they're the reason that RPGs are shit. They're small time and detractors often give these games more attention than they would've otherwise. I'm not really sure what's the point to pick on smaller companies since they're very rarely a blip on the radar.
That being said, I'm not blind enough to yell that they're the reason that RPGs are shit. They're small time and detractors often give these games more attention than they would've otherwise. I'm not really sure what's the point to pick on smaller companies since they're very rarely a blip on the radar.
Usually meaningful mechanics for starters. Not having to assign 10 attacks for each character that could have been done in one button press would be a start.
Fun things are fun
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I know this is a quote, but I do see people express similar sentiments unironically and it just kind of shuts down the conversation. Where does one go from "why is it fun?" "it just is"
I can understand people saying Disgaea D2 was too pandering, but 5 certainly doesn't go that way. And I didn't feel 3 or 4 had gone that way.
I fail to see the problem with those images