darkSpyro

To all you "But, but TfB is good at LORE!!!" folks ... really? The storyline for every Skylander game (from both of them) can be summed up like this:

"We need this mcguffin to do some thingamajig"
"Oh hey, we just met someone new that knows how to get it if we help them"
"Ok we helped him now we go get it with their help"
"Totally unsurprising boss appears and protects said item"

Repeat X times until end. Add in colorful dialog from Kaos and a few BOOMs from Flynn. Sure the scenery changes, but that's what you do.

I like the games, they are fun to play but one of the biggest complaints with the first game (and still some even with TT) is you cannot press a button to skip the story. That's not a sign of a compelling story or lore. Let's face it, there is only so much storyline you can do in a kids game where the main character can be one of over 100 options and change regularly.

Quote: GhostRoaster

Quote: Drek95

@GhostRoaster: Yes, they were INDEED listening to us, as they improved the series enormously, with the introduction of jump, the outstandingly better graphics and, as you said, the lenght of the levels.

However, I would have liked those levels to be more meaty, as I found myself wandering too often, without anything to do, even when keeping moving forward.

The first levels were perfect, great atmospheres, they managed to change the themes enough, even when keeping a single main theme (forest, or grasslands), but after Rampart Ruins they almost gave up, on level variety...

I agree, TT nailed those aspects, (especially with the Light and Dark Expansion Packs), and if V.V. keeps it in mind, I'm sure the outcome will be incredible.

That's funny. I think TfB and Trap Team had PRONOUNCED periods of "walk to next ambush area" and "kill everything/boss" and "move to next ambush area". This did not feel AS FORCED in Swap Force and flowed better. I do agree there were some lagging periods in Swap Force because they were only doing what we asked...but to be fair...Trap Team has these moments as well.

So net/net: TfB has better overall creativity in toy and some areas of their game aesthetics...but VV is the technical powerhouse forcing change and trying to expand the game. Both are great, and both have plusses and minuses...but imo I can see the hard work VV is putting in....despite the fact that the game "feels" better to me in TfB world I'm equally disappointed about their lack of features post the main story event. It's unacceptable and has left me with 10 months of pretty much nothing to do with the game. I still haven't completed all score mode and time attack challenges in Swap Force, and I was playing it well into last summer. Those dozens of accolades giving recognition for EVERY SINGLE THING...all gone now. So, since I'm done with Trap Team I'll go back to the game that's STILL giving me bang for my buck (despite annoying Rufus). Swapability is still the best gimmick---they balanced the technical innovation with awesome and long term playability...how can you argue with the balance of toy and game?

Thanks goodness I have an XBO and new games to start playing.

Well, maybe I don't see the levels as empty and "repetitive", this time, because they are a bit shorter.
That might be it.
SF's ones were too long for that to be ignored.

And, absolutely, Swappers ARE the best gimmick so far, technically speaking, and they also managed to introduce them in a great way, inside the game (they were only truly necessary for SWAP Zones, not, let's say, for Dual Elemental Ones).

However, they are still not my personal favorite gimmick, not after traps.
Don't know what to say, these are only my tastes.

And yes, the game IS shorter, and has less replayability.
I hate how level cap, Quests and Missions/Heroics were removed, but, as you said, this year I have a lot more games to play, and a lot less time to do it.

So, for this year, it's fine.

Quote: defpally

To all you "But, but TfB is good at LORE!!!" folks ... really? The storyline for every Skylander game (from both of them) can be summed up like this:

"We need this mcguffin to do some thingamajig"
"Oh hey, we just met someone new that knows how to get it if we help them"
"Ok we helped him now we go get it with their help"
"Totally unsurprising boss appears and protects said item"

Repeat X times until end. Add in colorful dialog from Kaos and a few BOOMs from Flynn. Sure the scenery changes, but that's what you do.

I like the games, they are fun to play but one of the biggest complaints with the first game (and still some even with TT) is you cannot press a button to skip the story. That's not a sign of a compelling story or lore. Let's face it, there is only so much storyline you can do in a kids game where the main character can be one of over 100 options and change regularly.

So I guess we are simply going to ignore minor and major plot twists, like the Machine Ghost's "death", in Giants, or Wolfgang going into the future to conquer the Skylands, or the Golden Queen betraying Kaos and taking once again the lead of the Doom Raiders, or Kaos becoming your "ally".

Just because we all knew about that, waaaay before the game was released, and weren't surprised when those things happened, doesn't mean they can be completely ignored.
That's why I plan to reduce my spoiler for Skylanders 5 to only watching the reveal gameplay and trailer and seeing the new characters.
No gameplay videos, no "Meet the Skylanders", no achievement's list.

Want to know a game that had almost NO plot twist...?
I'm sad to say it once again, and sound repetitive, but, look at SWAP Force.

They could have made us fight an evilized Elemental.
Nope.
They could have had Kaos mum help us in the final battle, in some way.
Nope.
They could have had Glumshanks retaining some of his evilized personality and betraying Kaos, after we defeated him, before the volcano's explosion.
Nope.

The only "plot twist" we had was Kaos becoming the final boss again.
And, honestly, after 2 games, I would have been surprised with the opposite.

Quote: defpally

To all you "But, but TfB is good at LORE!!!" folks ... really? The storyline for every Skylander game (from both of them) can be summed up like this:

"We need this mcguffin to do some thingamajig"
"Oh hey, we just met someone new that knows how to get it if we help them"
"Ok we helped him now we go get it with their help"
"Totally unsurprising boss appears and protects said item"

Repeat X times until end. Add in colorful dialog from Kaos and a few BOOMs from Flynn. Sure the scenery changes, but that's what you do.

I like the games, they are fun to play but one of the biggest complaints with the first game (and still some even with TT) is you cannot press a button to skip the story. That's not a sign of a compelling story or lore. Let's face it, there is only so much storyline you can do in a kids game where the main character can be one of over 100 options and change regularly.

Cliche doesn't mean automatically bad. No, I'm not sorry at all for linking you this.

It's a PREDICTABLE story because they're very simple plot twists or very simple themes,but it's not a bad story by any means. There's plenty of worldbuilding,there's plenty of places it goes to, doesn't have anything offending your intelligence, and it's fun and kinda immersive at the end.
It feels like I'm reading books like the Deltora Quest series or similar again,which for an adult are really cliche and predictable but the fun really is all in the journey.
Swap Force is a BAD story because zero time is spent in taking you in the adventure or having twists and turns. If there are any subversions of a cliche at all it's for the sake of a joke(friendly Yetis, firefighter wood people - seriously what the heck was that for?) or for the cool thing that you obviously want the character to have(the abomination that the Dread-Yacht becomes, Tessa becoming chieftess,etc.).
Except I don't. In it they all feel either like a joke or like exposition. And if we're going through Generic Place #10 where no worldbuilding was had as well, then I'm REALLY not going to care. Your big big twist? A Plot hole with the Dark Portal Master bullcrap. The big big climax? Oh, just the same thing you just had for the last two games, no changes to it.
In TT they raised all the stakes even if they didn't do anything exactly new. It's not only personal for the player and Kaos this time, it's meta personal. The big big plot twist? Not a whole lot special, but Golden Queen actually finishing the Ultimate Weapon still raised the stakes and gave a real sense of urgency to the story, even more when Kaos learns of the fourth wall by using its power.
And while we're going for crazy looking deserts with an amalgation of ancient cultures or wood robot factories or a zeppelin made of food and cooking items, it's a ride, and not a slog.

But of course I'm probably just a big damn casual for having the plot and the gameplay in the same high regard.

Speaking in defense of the S.F. plot, it had more depth than a lot of you are giving credit. You meet Tessa, who by the way is a nice diversion from the angsty Kali. You save token elderly counsel peeps. You meet Kaos' mom, she sends an "assassin" after you. You fight her and she addresses YOU as the Portal Master!!! You save elemental aspects. There's an amazing nod to Whirlwind, which for the first time in Skylander history gives a reason, in game, for an alt. Skylander figure in Polar Whirlwind...suck on that T.F.B. fans ;P (note the sarcasm). You help Tessa ascend into a higher rank from just being a protector. You get Evil Glumshanks!!!! I could go on and on but you get the point. There's plenty of plot and depth...for a Skylanders game. Also in speaking to the end you actually fight two bosses at the end of Swap Force. You can say you didn't like it but I don't see the justification to call it bad.

Not much depth because it feels more like filler. Mesmerelda disappears from the story altogether after being defeated,not even being shown imprisioned or whatnot. Saving a bunch of people is LEVEL plot for every other game. Nods to existing skylanders are fine but people can call bias on them, which is probably why TFB avoids and leaves them to the novels and comic books. Evil Glumshanks is a genuine good part of the game because it expands a lot on Glumshanks' character.... Buut it also goes nowhere.
Lots of things happening isn't the same as lots of adventure. That's the difference between soap operas and novels more than anything.

Bifrost, I like you. Even though we rarely agree, if ever, you have become my new sparring buddy... .

Mesmerelda was introduced, engaged and defeated. We can assume she's licking her wounds somewhere. Personally I felt the same way when Chompy mage came back but Drill-X didn't. He would have been an awesome Doom Raider. I love returning bad guys. It establishes rivalries and history between hero and villain. Lots of things happening IS an adventure though. With the community at Wood burrow I felt like there's was a community that was threatened by a potentially explosive volcano. You genuinely wanted to help those people. The Fish guy that wanted to tell you stories of his glory days int he Arena, The Hippo Bros, one with a shop and one with an upgrade pod, Averile, Wheelock, Tessa, The Crab dude for the Sheep Wreck portal, etc. The hub had flavor and purpose is my main point. Skylander Academy felt detached from Skylands and I didn't see my impact on the world, aside from adding a wing or three to the academy between levels.

Quote: Tigorus

Bifrost, I like you. Even though we rarely agree, if ever, you have become my new sparring buddy... .

Mesmerelda was introduced, engaged and defeated. We can assume she's licking her wounds somewhere. Personally I felt the same way when Chompy mage came back but Drill-X didn't. He would have been an awesome Doom Raider. I love returning bad guys. It establishes rivalries and history between hero and villain. Lots of things happening IS an adventure though. With the community at Wood burrow I felt like there's was a community that was threatened by a potentially explosive volcano. You genuinely wanted to help those people. The Fish guy that wanted to tell you stories of his glory days int he Arena, The Hippo Bros, one with a shop and one with an upgrade pod, Averile, Wheelock, Tessa, The Crab dude for the Sheep Wreck portal, etc. The hub had flavor and purpose is my main point. Skylander Academy felt detached from Skylands and I didn't see my impact on the world, aside from adding a wing or three to the academy between levels.

This.

The Academy felt a lot more like meeting old friends however. I'm not going to immediately pay mind to new characters,but dumb jokes aside seeing Mags,Buzz and crew every time that you return felt a lot more like a job well done than a bunch of one-note joke NPCs who you aren't going to see once the next arc starts. Didn't like that in SSA either, except for Cali, Hugo and Flynn(even if the latter two were annoying), didn't really feel like I was helping anyone if they were just standing there doing nothing for the rest of the game.

Quote: Badwolfmichael

Quote: Tigorus

Bifrost, I like you. Even though we rarely agree, if ever, you have become my new sparring buddy... .

Mesmerelda was introduced, engaged and defeated. We can assume she's licking her wounds somewhere. Personally I felt the same way when Chompy mage came back but Drill-X didn't. He would have been an awesome Doom Raider. I love returning bad guys. It establishes rivalries and history between hero and villain. Lots of things happening IS an adventure though. With the community at Wood burrow I felt like there's was a community that was threatened by a potentially explosive volcano. You genuinely wanted to help those people. The Fish guy that wanted to tell you stories of his glory days int he Arena, The Hippo Bros, one with a shop and one with an upgrade pod, Averile, Wheelock, Tessa, The Crab dude for the Sheep Wreck portal, etc. The hub had flavor and purpose is my main point. Skylander Academy felt detached from Skylands and I didn't see my impact on the world, aside from adding a wing or three to the academy between levels.

This.

Agreed, SF's story is not the best but it has its good parts.

I definitely like TFB's characters/story more.
As for the bugs and various game aspects being broken in SF, I'm not sure if that should really be pinned on VV or a lack of time/QC.
I'm still going to fangirl towards TFB.

knock mechanics

nuff said


Quote: defpally

To all you "But, but TfB is good at LORE!!!" folks ... really? The storyline for every Skylander game (from both of them) can be summed up like this:

"We need this mcguffin to do some thingamajig"
"Oh hey, we just met someone new that knows how to get it if we help them"
"Ok we helped him now we go get it with their help"
"Totally unsurprising boss appears and protects said item"

Repeat X times until end. Add in colorful dialog from Kaos and a few BOOMs from Flynn. Sure the scenery changes, but that's what you do.

I like the games, they are fun to play but one of the biggest complaints with the first game (and still some even with TT) is you cannot press a button to skip the story. That's not a sign of a compelling story or lore. Let's face it, there is only so much storyline you can do in a kids game where the main character can be one of over 100 options and change regularly.

HARK HARK UNDERRATED POST

Not underrated, already had my argument against it. It's very easy to say every story is the same because X happens, but they aren't. With that logic might as well say every love story is as good as Twilight because people fall in love in both.

Quote: Bifrost

Not underrated, already had my argument against it. It's very easy to say every story is the same because X happens, but they aren't. With that logic might as well say every love story is as good as Twilight because people fall in love in both.

Yes, it's like saying every Mario game is the same only because you have to save the Princess.
Not underrated, more like superficial and generalist.

SSA had the best story, hands down. Giants second, then TT, then SF. Honestly though, SA felt like the story fit the overall concept since it played into the elements. Everything fit. Since then, the gimmick has driven the story, and it's suffered because of that.

Giants had the best hub. I personally perfer a smaller hub, especially if there really isn't much to do there. I don't care to spend 30 seconds walking to the arena, 5 seconds will do. TT 2nd, SA third, SF last.

As far as gameplay, I'd rank them pretty close to even.

Characters, is hard to say. Probably giants, since that game introduce a lot of quality characters, yet didn't seem to make the old characters outdated. SF really wasn't that bad at it either. TT has been terrible with that. It feels like every core character has been nerfed, including the new cores. The trap masters are superior in every way to core characters it seems. In Gaints, the giants were stronger, but much slower....a trade off that made them fairly equal in combat. In SF, the gimmick just allowed choice, didn't really make them better fighters. I honestly wish they had made the masters the same size and fighting strength as cores, with weapons for gates and crystals. Of course, hard to justify $6 more per figure with just that.

As far as what to expect with Sky5, I don't expect a great story. I hope we don't see any of the VV NPC, other then what's her face. New ones would be great. I expect the game play to be pretty good. I expect a gimmick that doesn't really impress me.

Quote: melvimbe

SSA had the best story, hands down. Giants second, then TT, then SF. Honestly though, SA felt like the story fit the overall concept since it played into the elements. Everything fit. Since then, the gimmick has driven the story, and it's suffered because of that.

Giants had the best hub. I personally perfer a smaller hub, especially if there really isn't much to do there. I don't care to spend 30 seconds walking to the arena, 5 seconds will do. TT 2nd, SA third, SF last.

As far as gameplay, I'd rank them pretty close to even.

Characters, is hard to say. Probably giants, since that game introduce a lot of quality characters, yet didn't seem to make the old characters outdated. SF really wasn't that bad at it either. TT has been terrible with that. It feels like every core character has been nerfed, including the new cores. The trap masters are superior in every way to core characters it seems. In Gaints, the giants were stronger, but much slower....a trade off that made them fairly equal in combat. In SF, the gimmick just allowed choice, didn't really make them better fighters. I honestly wish they had made the masters the same size and fighting strength as cores, with weapons for gates and crystals. Of course, hard to justify $6 more per figure with just that.

As far as what to expect with Sky5, I don't expect a great story. I hope we don't see any of the VV NPC, other then what's her face. New ones would be great. I expect the game play to be pretty good. I expect a gimmick that doesn't really impress me.

I gues SA's gimmick was the Elements itself.
That story was AWESOME, it really enstablished a big connection between us and the different Elements in the Skylands, at least it did for me.

I would really like an open world game, so the Giants' hub is by far my least favorite.
And, I LOVED the irony of having such a small main area in a game where the stars are huge creatures.

I hate to say that, but objectively, Trap Masters are the worst gimmick in the series, gameplay wise.
I mean, as you said, they are just bigger and stronger Cores!
Overall, I like every single Skylander released so far, no exception.

But SWAP Forces are the bes gimmick, under an introduction and gameplay point of view, because they fit perfectly with the Story AND the game mechanics.
Traps are next.
And, personally, are still my favorite.

I too don't expect (but hope for) a great Story, in Skylanders 5.
I hope they retain some of the TfB and V.V. NPC's (meeting Sharpfin again would be cool).
I hope they do NOT create a new gimmick.

I'm sure a Skylanders' game would still rock, even without a technical or physical toy innovation.

Quote: Drek95

Quote: melvimbe

SSA had the best story, hands down. Giants second, then TT, then SF. Honestly though, SA felt like the story fit the overall concept since it played into the elements. Everything fit. Since then, the gimmick has driven the story, and it's suffered because of that.

Giants had the best hub. I personally perfer a smaller hub, especially if there really isn't much to do there. I don't care to spend 30 seconds walking to the arena, 5 seconds will do. TT 2nd, SA third, SF last.

As far as gameplay, I'd rank them pretty close to even.

Characters, is hard to say. Probably giants, since that game introduce a lot of quality characters, yet didn't seem to make the old characters outdated. SF really wasn't that bad at it either. TT has been terrible with that. It feels like every core character has been nerfed, including the new cores. The trap masters are superior in every way to core characters it seems. In Gaints, the giants were stronger, but much slower....a trade off that made them fairly equal in combat. In SF, the gimmick just allowed choice, didn't really make them better fighters. I honestly wish they had made the masters the same size and fighting strength as cores, with weapons for gates and crystals. Of course, hard to justify $6 more per figure with just that.

As far as what to expect with Sky5, I don't expect a great story. I hope we don't see any of the VV NPC, other then what's her face. New ones would be great. I expect the game play to be pretty good. I expect a gimmick that doesn't really impress me.

I guess SA's gimmick was the Elements itself.
That story was AWESOME, it really enstablished a big connection between us and the different Elements in the Skylands, at least it did for me.

I would really like an open world game, so the Giants' hub is by far my least favorite.
And, I LOVED the irony of having such a small main area in a game where the stars are huge creatures.

I hate to say that, but objectively, Trap Masters are the worst gimmick in the series, gameplay wise.
I mean, as you said, they are just bigger and stronger Cores!
Overall, I like every single Skylander released so far, no exception.

But SWAP Forces are the best gimmick, under an introduction and gameplay point of view, because they fit perfectly with the Story AND the game mechanics.
Traps are next.
And, personally, are still my favorite.

I too don't expect (but hope for) a great Story, in Skylanders 5.
I hope they retain some of the TfB and V.V. NPC's (meeting Sharpfin again would be cool).
I hope they do NOT create a new gimmick.

I'm sure a Skylanders' game would still rock, even without a technical or physical toy innovation.

Yeah, SA was definitely a great first impression to the series. Giants was okay, just a little too short compared to the previous entry.

SF is indeed the coolest of the gimmicks so far. It's a shame that it was introduced in my (currently) least favorite game in the series. The gameplay was good and so were the characters, but the locations and pacing I felt were just boring compared to the other games.

As for TT, I agree that the Trap Masters are kind of pointless and really aren't as important as they want you to believe. Except for the Elemental Gates (dumb move). It probably would have been better if they just kept the trapping villains the solitary gimmick and just have the Trap Masters be replaced by other cores. But it is what it is.

Though with that said, I'm not sure what they'll do to top the trapping villains gimmick. I just hope it doesn't go too crazy and we can have the return of the Portal Owner's pack.

The past is the past, but the future is a big question mark from me. The same general pattern of story levels and get collectables needs a new twist, regardless of who is in the driver's seat. VV is the best of the two companies to deliver on this potential.

Quote: AdamGregory03

Quote: Drek95

Quote: melvimbe

SSA had the best story, hands down. Giants second, then TT, then SF. Honestly though, SA felt like the story fit the overall concept since it played into the elements. Everything fit. Since then, the gimmick has driven the story, and it's suffered because of that.

Giants had the best hub. I personally perfer a smaller hub, especially if there really isn't much to do there. I don't care to spend 30 seconds walking to the arena, 5 seconds will do. TT 2nd, SA third, SF last.

As far as gameplay, I'd rank them pretty close to even.

Characters, is hard to say. Probably giants, since that game introduce a lot of quality characters, yet didn't seem to make the old characters outdated. SF really wasn't that bad at it either. TT has been terrible with that. It feels like every core character has been nerfed, including the new cores. The trap masters are superior in every way to core characters it seems. In Gaints, the giants were stronger, but much slower....a trade off that made them fairly equal in combat. In SF, the gimmick just allowed choice, didn't really make them better fighters. I honestly wish they had made the masters the same size and fighting strength as cores, with weapons for gates and crystals. Of course, hard to justify $6 more per figure with just that.

As far as what to expect with Sky5, I don't expect a great story. I hope we don't see any of the VV NPC, other then what's her face. New ones would be great. I expect the game play to be pretty good. I expect a gimmick that doesn't really impress me.

I guess SA's gimmick was the Elements itself.
That story was AWESOME, it really enstablished a big connection between us and the different Elements in the Skylands, at least it did for me.

I would really like an open world game, so the Giants' hub is by far my least favorite.
And, I LOVED the irony of having such a small main area in a game where the stars are huge creatures.

I hate to say that, but objectively, Trap Masters are the worst gimmick in the series, gameplay wise.
I mean, as you said, they are just bigger and stronger Cores!
Overall, I like every single Skylander released so far, no exception.

But SWAP Forces are the best gimmick, under an introduction and gameplay point of view, because they fit perfectly with the Story AND the game mechanics.
Traps are next.
And, personally, are still my favorite.

I too don't expect (but hope for) a great Story, in Skylanders 5.
I hope they retain some of the TfB and V.V. NPC's (meeting Sharpfin again would be cool).
I hope they do NOT create a new gimmick.

I'm sure a Skylanders' game would still rock, even without a technical or physical toy innovation.

Yeah, SA was definitely a great first impression to the series. Giants was okay, just a little too short compared to the previous entry.

SF is indeed the coolest of the gimmicks so far. It's a shame that it was introduced in my (currently) least favorite game in the series. The gameplay was good and so were the characters, but the locations and pacing I felt were just boring compared to the other games.

As for TT, I agree that the Trap Masters are kind of pointless and really aren't as important as they want you to believe. Except for the Elemental Gates (dumb move). It probably would have been better if they just kept the trapping villains the solitary gimmick and just have the Trap Masters be replaced by other cores. But it is what it is.

Though with that said, I'm not sure what they'll do to top the trapping villains gimmick. I just hope it doesn't go too crazy and we can have the return of the Portal Owner's pack.

Or leave the Trap Masters as the only characters capable of trapping and switching with villains.

You could have used every character you wanted to defeat a villain, but only a Trap Master (maybe of that specific Element, if they wanted to go down that route) would have been able to physically put him inside a trap, maybe with a super cool move, like the ones in the 3DS, and tag-team.

Trap Masters being the only one who can trap a guy of the same element is how it works in Skylanders Lost Islands,since in there they can carve consumable traps which cost energy.

...Let's be thankful they never actually did that.
But that doesn't make the Trap Masters more useless except for exploring. Unlike what people said, they're hardly stronger than everyone,and because of that you're not really speeding up boss battles with the double damage. Maybe they could've done what SF did with Giants and create elemental Traptanium Chests along with Villain Chests. Trap Team showers you in gold,so missing a chest per level if you don't like the gimmick is not as big of a loss as Gates.

I don't play Mario games because of the story. I play them because they are fun. Same goes with Skylanders, so when you tell me TfB writes the best stories of the two, that isn't a really compelling argument as to why they are the better developer. That's like telling me that they have better logo screens when you boot the game up.

I think there is significant agreement because not being able to skip the talky-talky was a highly maligned problem for SSA (and the parts where you can't in the later ones).

When I was young, we had Gauntlet which played very similar (for the time) and had absolutely ZERO story. No one ever complained about that.

Wizard needs food badly.
Shots do not hurt other players...yet.
Elf now has extra shot power.
Valkyrie has eaten most of the food lately

What else do you need for a story?

I need a lot of story. Just gotta accept that some people DO play games because of depth and adventure and entertaining characters. Same way that I accept that probs the whole argument changes if you don't care.

Quote: Bifrost

I need a lot of story. Just gotta accept that some people DO play games because of depth and adventure and entertaining characters. Same way that I accept that probs the whole argument changes if you don't care.

I like a good story too, but not at the expense of game play. Skylanders doesn't cross that line of exceeding story vs game...yet. YMMV on the quality of the efforts.

Quote: GhostRoaster

Quote: Bifrost

I need a lot of story. Just gotta accept that some people DO play games because of depth and adventure and entertaining characters. Same way that I accept that probs the whole argument changes if you don't care.

I like a good story too, but not at the expense of game play. Skylanders doesn't cross that line of exceeding story vs game...yet. YMMV on the quality of the efforts.

This exactly.

This is why I like VV better.. even though they do have boring levels sometimes, the gameplay is just, so "exciting"...

Agree that it the game doesn't have to have a good story, but it can definitely improve the game IMO. Same goes with the soundtrack really. IMO, SSA was awesome and the others were so so. BTW, plants vs zombies also has a great soundtrack. Both those games got big boosts from the soundtrack IMO.

I hope the next version gives me something to do with my old favorite characters. TT basically made them obsolete.

Lorne Balfe works for both VV and TFB,though,it's hardly a dev team thing.

But TT's soundtrack compared to SF's is amazing. Sure, the majority of it is remixes and reorchestrations of existing songs,but SF outright reused tracks. I'll stay with the Mystic Mill battle,Chompy Worm and Evil Dreams themes than a level which plays Arkeyan Armory with half the instruments and MAYBE 50 seconds of Iron Jaw Gulch(which doesn't play on its own level?!?!) for the actioney parts.

Quote: Bifrost

Lorne Balfe works for both VV and TFB,though,it's hardly a dev team thing.

But TT's soundtrack compared to SF's is amazing. Sure, the majority of it is remixes and reorchestrations of existing songs,but SF outright reused tracks. I'll stay with the Mystic Mill battle,Chompy Worm and Evil Dreams themes than a level which plays Arkeyan Armory with half the instruments and MAYBE 50 seconds of Iron Jaw Gulch(which doesn't play on its own level?!?!) for the actioney parts.

SF's soundtrack is still pretty damn great though. I feel like you hate on Swap Force a bit to much.

Some of my favorites.



I know Frostfest Moutains is a remix of Glacier Gulley but it's the superior song.




And the main theme? It's just as good as Giant's theme.

I don't hate on what SF HAD of a real soundtrack. It was pretty alright to me. What iffs me is blatantly reusing SSA and SG tracks as main level themes. Again, TT at least greatly remixed those to the point they could all be variations like the SSA elemental arc themes.

Quote: defpally

I don't play Mario games because of the story. I play them because they are fun. Same goes with Skylanders, so when you tell me TfB writes the best stories of the two, that isn't a really compelling argument as to why they are the better developer. That's like telling me that they have better logo screens when you boot the game up.

I think there is significant agreement because not being able to skip the talky-talky was a highly maligned problem for SSA (and the parts where you can't in the later ones).

When I was young, we had Gauntlet which played very similar (for the time) and had absolutely ZERO story. No one ever complained about that.

Well, I don't think a logo can influence a game like Skylanders as much as a good, "deep", clever and interesting story.
Sure, we can just have a bunch of levels, kill the enemies and beat the final boss... But that's not what they have given us so far.

They have created a universe, with a pretty interesting lore, that the comics are expanding, they all (more or less) have unique and awesome environments and atmospheres... And they also have stories.

You can like this or not, and I respect it, but a Skylanders game without a proper (even if basic) story simply wouldn't be a Skylanders game.

Me? I'm impartial. All of the games had their good points and bad.
Other than Rufus, I liked the NPCs of SF. How the Ice Elves revered Whirlwind, the raft owner telling stories about his days in the arena, Tessa becoming the new Chieftess, etc.
But the SF villains all disappeared, like Bifrost mentioned. Yet they brought back Chompy Mage! There was the villains in SF & the other villains in Giants that would have been perfect as trapped villains. For the lesser villains they could have had Spell Punks, Gear Golems and so forth. I even miss SA where you battled the evil Skylanders.
The Mabu aren't that bad, not compared to Rufus or Buzz.
I DID hate what they did with the scrolls in TT as well as the Legendary Treasures merely being decorations for the Academy. That's where Giants and SF were strong. In Giants, you were able to customize the Dread Yacht w/ Legendary Treasures. In SF, the Legendary Treasures boosted your stats & they were compatable with each hat's stat bonuses.
TRINKETS WERE A WASTE!!!!! What was the point of them?! They should have equal stat bonuses like hats.
Also why all the villains' quests were able to be played repeatively, except Hood Sickle. I had him evolved, but now he's not because I accidentally put him in a different Undead Trap.

I flat out don't like the story mode levels in any Skylanders game. I play them once or twice (hard and nightmare difficulties) and then spend the rest of my time doing the arenas and challenge mode stuff with different Skylanders. There is not nearly enough fighting in story levels.

Apparently, VV is going to develop Sky 5.

Read this: http://www.digitalspy.com.au/g...~p3MjMQaeRSDNCP

Quote: Insane01

Me? I'm impartial. All of the games had their good points and bad.
Other than Rufus, I liked the NPCs of SF. How the Ice Elves revered Whirlwind, the raft owner telling stories about his days in the arena, Tessa becoming the new Chieftess, etc.
But the SF villains all disappeared, like Bifrost mentioned. Yet they brought back Chompy Mage! There was the villains in SF & the other villains in Giants that would have been perfect as trapped villains. For the lesser villains they could have had Spell Punks, Gear Golems and so forth. I even miss SA where you battled the evil Skylanders.
The Mabu aren't that bad, not compared to Rufus or Buzz.
I DID hate what they did with the scrolls in TT as well as the Legendary Treasures merely being decorations for the Academy. That's where Giants and SF were strong. In Giants, you were able to customize the Dread Yacht w/ Legendary Treasures. In SF, the Legendary Treasures boosted your stats & they were compatable with each hat's stat bonuses.
TRINKETS WERE A WASTE!!!!! What was the point of them?! They should have equal stat bonuses like hats.
Also why all the villains' quests were able to be played repeatively, except Hood Sickle. I had him evolved, but now he's not because I accidentally put him in a different Undead Trap.

You are impartial, yet only stated SF's pros and TT's cons.

That's what I mean, when I say in these topics TfB is usually "bashed" and V.V. "unconditionally loved".
Please, take this affermation with a grain of salt.

Just treat both companies equally, if you are truly neutral.

Quote: Eruptor100

Apparently, VV is going to develop Sky 5.

Read this: http://www.digitalspy.com.au/g...~p3MjMQaeRSDNCP

Yes, thanks for the link to the new article, but actually this is more than a rumor.

V.V. have been confirmed to be the developers of Skylanders 5 almost a year ago, more or less.
TfB is in charge to develop Skylanders 6, and V.V. will probably be back for the 7th.

This way, each developer will have two years to work on the game, instead of one.

Quote: Drek95

Quote: Insane01

Me? I'm impartial. All of the games had their good points and bad.
Other than Rufus, I liked the NPCs of SF. How the Ice Elves revered Whirlwind, the raft owner telling stories about his days in the arena, Tessa becoming the new Chieftess, etc.
But the SF villains all disappeared, like Bifrost mentioned. Yet they brought back Chompy Mage! There was the villains in SF & the other villains in Giants that would have been perfect as trapped villains. For the lesser villains they could have had Spell Punks, Gear Golems and so forth. I even miss SA where you battled the evil Skylanders.
The Mabu aren't that bad, not compared to Rufus or Buzz.
I DID hate what they did with the scrolls in TT as well as the Legendary Treasures merely being decorations for the Academy. That's where Giants and SF were strong. In Giants, you were able to customize the Dread Yacht w/ Legendary Treasures. In SF, the Legendary Treasures boosted your stats & they were compatable with each hat's stat bonuses.
TRINKETS WERE A WASTE!!!!! What was the point of them?! They should have equal stat bonuses like hats.
Also why all the villains' quests were able to be played repeatively, except Hood Sickle. I had him evolved, but now he's not because I accidentally put him in a different Undead Trap.

You are impartial, yet only stated SF's pros and TT's cons.

That's what I mean, when I say in these topics TfB is usually "bashed" and V.V. "unconditionally loved".
Please, take this affermation with a grain of salt.

Just treat both companies equally, if you are truly neutral.

Quote: Eruptor100

Apparently, VV is going to develop Sky 5.

Read this: http://www.digitalspy.com.au/g...~p3MjMQaeRSDNCP

Yes, thanks for the link to the new article, but actually this is more than a rumor.

V.V. have been confirmed to be the developers of Skylanders 5 almost a year ago, more or less.
TfB is in charge to develop Skylanders 6, and V.V. will probably be back for the 7th.

This way, each developer will have two years to work on the game, instead of one.

Drek, if you were in charge of Sky 5, would you add time attack and score mode or leave them out? Since you said you didn't care for them.

Quote: HeyitsHotDog

Quote: Drek95

Quote: Insane01

Me? I'm impartial. All of the games had their good points and bad.
Other than Rufus, I liked the NPCs of SF. How the Ice Elves revered Whirlwind, the raft owner telling stories about his days in the arena, Tessa becoming the new Chieftess, etc.
But the SF villains all disappeared, like Bifrost mentioned. Yet they brought back Chompy Mage! There was the villains in SF & the other villains in Giants that would have been perfect as trapped villains. For the lesser villains they could have had Spell Punks, Gear Golems and so forth. I even miss SA where you battled the evil Skylanders.
The Mabu aren't that bad, not compared to Rufus or Buzz.
I DID hate what they did with the scrolls in TT as well as the Legendary Treasures merely being decorations for the Academy. That's where Giants and SF were strong. In Giants, you were able to customize the Dread Yacht w/ Legendary Treasures. In SF, the Legendary Treasures boosted your stats & they were compatable with each hat's stat bonuses.
TRINKETS WERE A WASTE!!!!! What was the point of them?! They should have equal stat bonuses like hats.
Also why all the villains' quests were able to be played repeatively, except Hood Sickle. I had him evolved, but now he's not because I accidentally put him in a different Undead Trap.

You are impartial, yet only stated SF's pros and TT's cons.

That's what I mean, when I say in these topics TfB is usually "bashed" and V.V. "unconditionally loved".
Please, take this affermation with a grain of salt.

Just treat both companies equally, if you are truly neutral.

Quote: Eruptor100

Apparently, VV is going to develop Sky 5.

Read this: http://www.digitalspy.com.au/g...~p3MjMQaeRSDNCP

Yes, thanks for the link to the new article, but actually this is more than a rumor.

V.V. have been confirmed to be the developers of Skylanders 5 almost a year ago, more or less.
TfB is in charge to develop Skylanders 6, and V.V. will probably be back for the 7th.

This way, each developer will have two years to work on the game, instead of one.

Drek, if you were in charge of Sky 5, would you add time attack and score mode or leave them out? Since you said you didn't care for them.

I would absolutely add them, because they have been requested by fans, and as a person in charge of creating something that the very same fans would eventually like it would be a right move.
There is no problem in adding minigames, because the fans who don't like them can simply not play with them.

The problem comes when you have to change something in the main gameplay, or take it out.
Someone could complain, but someone else could find it a great innovation.

It's a really difficult decision, sometimes, I'm sure of that.

Obviously, as a creator I would want to make something that I like and I personally find interesting, but I would also pay a big attention to what fans want.