darkSpyro

Kind of interesting that around this time last year everyone was concerned if traps were going to work in the next game and currently no one seems to be wondering if the vehicles will work in the next game. Considering the price of vehicles compared to traps I would guess they will work in the next game. I hope the next game is not full of vehicle sections, however, that really decreases the value of the pricey vehicles. Maybe vehicles will be as useless as traps, magic items, and level expansion items.
Just wanted to hear other peoples thoughts about it.

We'll only know when it's announced. I say don't count on it if TFB is feeling stingy from the changes in SC, but they might find some use for them even if minimal otherwise next game. Could be anywhere from useless to more expensive LightCore damage to -wishful thinking here- ported race tracks and racing-only.

I highly suspect the vehicles will have a minimal in-game usage. I suspect a lightcore-esque blast, a potential upgrade for their driver, maybe a hat, maybe something akin to a Skystone unlock.

I would not rule out some kind of token area to drive the vehicles around in for giggles, maybe a hat unlock or something (Think SWAPZones).

I fully expect folks to be unhappy with whatever they do.

The bigger question is.... will traps be supported? :D

Hats are actually a good idea if they don't do it like previous ones and just sell everything from the previous ones. The vehicles do have 2 hats each.

I think hats are a great way to treat the legacy items as wll. Sure, the token decorations are nice, but gimme something useful.

Well, the only thing I can say for certain is that they'll give Superchargers a power boost when paired up with them... And aside from that I don't really know. They could just make them into Legendary Treasures, but honestly I think VV really backed TFB into a corner with making this gimmick mandatory.

Expect nothing. You'll get something absolutely trivial and stupid, like the Trap "boosts" to vehicles this year.

I like the idea of there being a separate spinoff entry like the 3DS and Wii versions.

Quote: TakeYourLemons

Expect nothing. You'll get something absolutely trivial and stupid, like the Trap "boosts" to vehicles this year.

Actually, that's not a bad idea.

If we expect nothing, then we can say the game exceeded all of our expectations and can't be disappointed!

Quote: AdamGregory03

Quote: TakeYourLemons

Expect nothing. You'll get something absolutely trivial and stupid, like the Trap "boosts" to vehicles this year.

Actually, that's not a bad idea.

If we expect nothing, then we can say the game exceeded all of our expectations and can't be disappointed!

My thoughts exactly.

Discontinued, minor additions in Sky 6, never to be used agaaiinn.

I think we cannot be too sure, as of now.
I understand those who are convinced they will do again what has been done to traps this year, it makes sense but I don't agree with them.

We are in a situation which has never happened before.
V.V. created a toy gimmick which doesn't revolve around Skylanders and TfB has to handle it.
Now Trap Teap respected all the previous gimmicks, so I don't see why Skylanders 6 wouldn't do the same.

Of course it could have been Activision fault, I don't want to sound like I'm defending TfB for the sake of it, I simply look at facts.
Not to mention Guha Bala said in one interview (which I will try and post later because I don't have the time right now) that he knew vehicles would play an important role in the fifth game.

I feel like they'll be treated the way Advetnure Pieces are treated, no?

Decoration, Attack aid and possibly a boost for the driver all seem likely.

there is no future in any new games for the vehicles, the bad sales have proven that. they even will not be used as adventure pieces. so shelves dust collectors most likely gonna be their future.

Quote: CountMoneyBone

there is no future in any new games for the vehicles, the bad sales have proven that. they even will not be used as adventure pieces. so shelves dust collectors most likely gonna be their future.

Great to know we have someone from the future here to inform us.

Water Traps sold badly, and they definitely don't work in SC.

Ideally, I think the next Skylanders game should be open world and thus allow use of vehicles at any time just as Lego Dimensions does. Realistically, they will probably have some random minor use related to whatever the new gimmick is.

A side area in the main hub, much like the Pandergast area in SuperChargers, would be perfect for the vehicles in Skylanders 6.
I would be OK with more vehicle involvement, as long as there are NO driving sections that interrupt the main quest/story levels.

Quote: GaiaMemories

Quote: CountMoneyBone

there is no future in any new games for the vehicles, the bad sales have proven that. they even will not be used as adventure pieces. so shelves dust collectors most likely gonna be their future.

Great to know we have someone from the future here to inform us.

Water Traps sold badly, and they definitely don't work in SC.

firstly trap team did a lot better than supercharger. but just look at giants in swap force... there was nothing of worth or take notice of for the gimmick giants. and how much useful was swappers in trap team?... nothing. now you have supercharger that failed hard and tfb is well known for not supporting vv gimmicks. so its a given whats gonna happen, dont have to be a genius to see that.

Gold Chests and portable bombs. Swappers still Swap and use their abilitiews, there just isn't specific zones, and Giants kept the portable bomb thing on TT. You're ignoring a lot to make your point right.

Quote:

Gold Chests and portable bombs

here was nothing of worth or take notice of....

Quote:

Swappers still Swap and use their abilitiews

you are talking about figurines here, the vehicles is the gimmick....


Quote:

You're ignoring a lot to make your point right.

i am not ignoring anything, its you ignoring to read my post.

CountMoneyBone isn't wrong, the series has not continued supporting special functions for each gimmick going forward. No feats of strength for Giants, No SwapZones for the SWAPForce and, from what I've heard, no Traptanium crystals for the Trap Masters to break / a skystone for the villain trapped in the trap.

I'm convinced the cars will just be a boost.

Quote: Hexin_Wishes

CountMoneyBone isn't wrong, the series has not continued supporting special functions for each gimmick going forward. No feats of strength for Giants, No SwapZones for the SWAPForce and, from what I've heard, no Traptanium crystals for the Trap Masters to break / a skystone for the villain trapped in the trap.

I'm convinced the cars will just be a boost.

thanks finally someone that understand.

How many times are you going to keep gloating about this?

To anyone from Activision/TFB/VV/WHOMEVER that might be reading this:

I submit this idea to you for free, no compensation necessary or required - all I want is for the best game experience ever - and I think this is the answer. Because I have the best ideas. :D. This is an idea I've suggested before, so some of you have heard it already... Sorry for you.

For Sky6: Make the portal without a trap slot, without the giant pad for vehicles - make the portal itself awesome for the game it is designed for - and you're good.... except...

..put a USB port (or two or three) on the Portal - and let us plug an older portal into the new one and we can use the features from the older portal without the need to 'adapt' the physical aspect of old portal gimmick to the new game.

Now, if someone is playng with a TT portal plugged in, you can use the traps and the speakers without needing to add the cost of the speaker into the new portal.

This opens up another highly requested option for the series - 4 Player modes. Before, you needed to have a freaking huge portal to support the space for four players. Now, each player could have their own portal (if three USB ports were included).

This gives us a great use for our old portals and really justifies making a new portal this year, as it is something *required* and gives us a reason for owning two (or more....) portals.

Make it happen. :D

A Portal network! Literally!

Exactly. :D

A Skylander game like that would be a miracle.

Really nice idea, UncleBob!
More freedom and versatility are always welcome!

Regarding older gimmick support: this is the first game to not support a previous gimmick figure's functionality (unless you include SWAP Force, where Giants were basically glorified keys outside of being super strong), simply because it's the first one which had to do it.

I hate repeating it again but in Trap Team:
- Giants could still break special walls and lift boulders;
- Swappers could still swap (and they can now as well);
- Trap Masters dealt more damages to trappable villains and could destroy Traptanium shards.

Now, if we want to talk about special things for them to do, like Feats of Strengh, SWAP Zones or Traptanium Elemental Gates (like Hexin_Wishes pointed out) I absolutely agree, but that doesn't remotely regard supporting a figure, nor it's special functions.
Turning our Magic Items into decorations is not supporting a figure's functions.

This was the first time a team had to deal with a previous non-character gimmick figure type and it didnt went well.
Does this necessarily means this will automatically be repeated in Skylanders 6...?
I like to think Activision can learn from their mistakes if it really wants to.

We'll have to wait and see, I actually don't mind if they don't add anything in the next game for vehicles. I'm still disappointed in the traps not working, but I feel like I wouldn't mind vehicles not serving a purpose in Sky 6. Eh, that's just me, though.

Quote: Drek95

Now, if we want to talk about special things for them to do, like Feats of Strengh, SWAP Zones or Traptanium Elemental Gates (like Hexin_Wishes pointed out) I absolutely agree, but that doesn't remotely regard supporting a figure, nor it's special functions.
Turning our Magic Items into decorations is not supporting a figure's functions.

Hmmm... Good technical point but when the Gimmicklanders come out they have certain things unique to them that makes playing them a unique experience. Sure, those "quests" were a justification for shelling out more for these figurines, but it separated them from corelanders and even each other. From each incarnation, the Gimmicklanders only retain their base function as you laid out, but there is little (in SF) to no (TT & SC) incentive to play as them otherwise.

What SuperChargers did to Magic Items is a disgusting slap in the face. It would be somewhat redeemable if the Adventure pieces unlocked bonus race areas based off of the Adventure Pack pieces but apparently that was too much for them.

-----

Honestly, location pieces not unlocking new areas isn't surprising. There's, what, 11 at this point? Developing additional levels every game without additional income to pay for that development isn't going to work - unless you take development out of the main game, but no one wants shorter main games and folks who are new to the series don't want wholly unique areas that they can't access because those toys aren't sold anymore (and Activision has no good reason to support the secondary market).

What I'd do with the location pieces - create mini-games, nothing crazy, but think of some of the mini-games in Mario Party. Now, in any game here on out, Darklight Crypt will always unlock, say, Checkers. Kaos Trophy will always unlock Connect Four. New adventure pieces would unlock new areas specific for that game, but would just add to the mini-game collection going forward. Ideally, short of a new system releasing, you'd be able to cut and paste the assets from Sky6's Volcanic Vault mini-game into Sky7 - so you only need to make the new mini-game when the new piece is created - every other time, you're reusing the exact same assets. This keeps the pieces from becoming just a decoration, but doesn't create a needlessly expensive development cost (aside from the first game to implement it - sorry for that team).

If Activision is worried about gating part of the game behind toys folks can't buy new, steal from Mario Maker's use of amiibo. Scanning the Adventure Piece unlocks the mini-game early, but completing a particular feat in the game also unlocks it.

As for what was done with the rest of the magic pieces.... boo. Giving them a LightCore-esque blast was lame and took away what made "collect them all" into bleh.

^You know that's honestly not a bad idea.

It makes me wonder if Acti actually DOES monitor these forums and if they do, how likely they are to take our ideas into account.

Drek, I have to ask ya, say TfB made SF and VV made TT. Do you think VV would have cut swapping in their TT?

Well, Activision isn't known for discouraging friction between two developers doing off year franchises. Their well known issues with the guys that now run Respawn derived from that. The executable for the first Modern Warfare (CoD4) on the PC is COD3.exe, because they refused to acknowledge the other team actually made Call of Duty 3. From everything I've read, TfB was very against many things VV added, going so far as saying they would have removed jumping if they thought they could get away with it. Add in pretty much writing off any of their additions - character or mechanic - makes me think there is some serious animosity at TfB over VV. It isn't hard to believe that some of it goes the other way these days as well.

Quote: defpally

Well, Activision isn't known for discouraging friction between two developers doing off year franchises. Their well known issues with the guys that now run Respawn derived from that. The executable for the first Modern Warfare (CoD4) on the PC is COD3.exe, because they refused to acknowledge the other team actually made Call of Duty 3. From everything I've read, TfB was very against many things VV added, going so far as saying they would have removed jumping if they thought they could get away with it. Add in pretty much writing off any of their additions - character or mechanic - makes me think there is some serious animosity at TfB over VV. It isn't hard to believe that some of it goes the other way these days as well.

That right there would have been a huge mistake and possibly would have hurt the franchise hugely. That's insane of them to have thought of it. Jumping was a needed thing in Skylanders since the beginning.


I'm sure they get along outside of work but at the same time a rivalry should be expected.

Quote: CountMoneyBone

Quote: GaiaMemories

Quote: CountMoneyBone

there is no future in any new games for the vehicles, the bad sales have proven that. they even will not be used as adventure pieces. so shelves dust collectors most likely gonna be their future.

Great to know we have someone from the future here to inform us.

Water Traps sold badly, and they definitely don't work in SC.

firstly trap team did a lot better than supercharger. but just look at giants in swap force... there was nothing of worth or take notice of for the gimmick giants. and how much useful was swappers in trap team?... nothing. now you have supercharger that failed hard and tfb is well known for not supporting vv gimmicks. so its a given whats gonna happen, dont have to be a genius to see that.

"Well known for not supporting VVs gimmicks"? VV made one game before trap team released. This has, in the history of skylanders, happened exactly ONE time. How are they "well known" for this? VV did the same thing to the Trap Masters with SC, making them overly expensive cores. At least the swappers still got to swap in TT, they kept that power, and probably will.

Quote: AdamGregory03

^You know that's honestly not a bad idea.

It makes me wonder if Acti actually DOES monitor these forums and if they do, how likely they are to take our ideas into account.

We know Support(ACTIVIA and Orville) do, and once in a blue moon I catch a glimpse of Chris at TFB who I haven't seen posts from in years and I don't really remember their role at all. But devs? No idea. We definately get more attention than the official forums though, which is pretty much just support, and tons more than Ghostroaster and r/skylanders from which I've seen like one dev post.

I definately see SOME things that definately feel like we influenced(some inside jokes like the Hot Steak meme and online co-op), but overall it feels like there's a mystery forum that's way bigger that's getting attention or they genuinely think they have all the feedback they need from Kid Testing. Which, if it's true, good god they're wrong.

I'd say they take a little feedback from here (the patch opening up iOS Superchargers to any Hot Streak, for example), but I wouldn't expect anyone to seriously take anything major from here aside from general suggestions and add it to future development. Prove me wrong, TFB/VV/ATVI.

Quote: defpally

TfB was very against many things VV added, going so far as saying they would have removed jumping if they thought they could get away with it.

Where did they say this???

Quote: CountMoneyBone

Quote: GaiaMemories

Quote: CountMoneyBone

there is no future in any new games for the vehicles, the bad sales have proven that. they even will not be used as adventure pieces. so shelves dust collectors most likely gonna be their future.

Great to know we have someone from the future here to inform us.

Water Traps sold badly, and they definitely don't work in SC.

firstly trap team did a lot better than supercharger. but just look at giants in swap force... there was nothing of worth or take notice of for the gimmick giants. and how much useful was swappers in trap team?... nothing. now you have supercharger that failed hard and tfb is well known for not supporting vv gimmicks. so its a given whats gonna happen, dont have to be a genius to see that.

But they still work. Giants still step on small enemies, Swappers still Swap and Traps still do something. Your implying that they will be nothing but little toy vehicle's. They might not work like they do in SC, but I have no doubt they'll work.

And SC didn't "fail hard" it just didn't do as well as other games.

Quote: HeyitsHotDog

That right there would have been a huge mistake and possibly would have hurt the franchise hugely. That's insane of them to have thought of it. Jumping was a needed thing in Skylanders since the beginning.

I'm sure they get along outside of work but at the same time a rivalry should be expected.

Quote: TrapShadowFan

Where did they say this???

One of the interviews back when Trap Team was first announced. TfB was clear they didn't want jumping added, but they couldn't shove the crap back into the goose. It is probably why they went out of their way to change many improvements VV did back to like they did them. It is a very common thing in software development when assignments get farmed out to other teams. It's called "Not Invented Here" syndrome many developers take changes as an affront, rather than seeing them as potential improvements to the design. They take it as harm to their "baby". I've seen it many times on projects I have been managed and been part. In reality, sometimes it is the freshest perspective that makes the most meaningful insights since they aren't too close to the problem.

The thing is you guys are thinking about things differently from Activision. Activision has a history of pitting developers against each other, they think it reduces costs by having them worry about each other and not Activision themselves. The goal is to make the developers feel "replaceable" in order to squeeze the best contract terms out.

Quote: UncleBob

To anyone from Activision/TFB/VV/WHOMEVER that might be reading this:

I submit this idea to you for free, no compensation necessary or required - all I want is for the best game experience ever - and I think this is the answer. Because I have the best ideas. . This is an idea I've suggested before, so some of you have heard it already... Sorry for you.

For Sky6: Make the portal without a trap slot, without the giant pad for vehicles - make the portal itself awesome for the game it is designed for - and you're good.... except...

..put a USB port (or two or three) on the Portal - and let us plug an older portal into the new one and we can use the features from the older portal without the need to 'adapt' the physical aspect of old portal gimmick to the new game.

Now, if someone is playng with a TT portal plugged in, you can use the traps and the speakers without needing to add the cost of the speaker into the new portal.

This opens up another highly requested option for the series - 4 Player modes. Before, you needed to have a freaking huge portal to support the space for four players. Now, each player could have their own portal (if three USB ports were included).

This gives us a great use for our old portals and really justifies making a new portal this year, as it is something *required* and gives us a reason for owning two (or more....) portals.

Make it happen.

Would the consoles USB ports even output enough power to power multiple portals?

Quote: HeyitsHotDog

Drek, I have to ask ya, say TfB made SF and VV made TT. Do you think VV would have cut swapping in their TT?

No, absolutely.
But simply because that was a character based feature and they would have been crazy to remove it.
I mean... I can still swap my figures in real life, why wouldn't it affect gameplay...?

But I do think TfB would have kept V.V.'s traps if they were to create the fifth game.
Even if vehicles were still the main gimmick.
I happen to think SuperChargers would have been a lot different (not necessarily better) if TfB developed it, bad Activision choices aside.

Quote: UncleBob

Honestly, location pieces not unlocking new areas isn't surprising. There's, what, 11 at this point? Developing additional levels every game without additional income to pay for that development isn't going to work - unless you take development out of the main game, but no one wants shorter main games and folks who are new to the series don't want wholly unique areas that they can't access because those toys aren't sold anymore (and Activision has no good reason to support the secondary market).

What I'd do with the location pieces - create mini-games, nothing crazy, but think of some of the mini-games in Mario Party. Now, in any game here on out, Darklight Crypt will always unlock, say, Checkers. Kaos Trophy will always unlock Connect Four. New adventure pieces would unlock new areas specific for that game, but would just add to the mini-game collection going forward. Ideally, short of a new system releasing, you'd be able to cut and paste the assets from Sky6's Volcanic Vault mini-game into Sky7 - so you only need to make the new mini-game when the new piece is created - every other time, you're reusing the exact same assets. This keeps the pieces from becoming just a decoration, but doesn't create a needlessly expensive development cost (aside from the first game to implement it - sorry for that team).

If Activision is worried about gating part of the game behind toys folks can't buy new, steal from Mario Maker's use of amiibo. Scanning the Adventure Piece unlocks the mini-game early, but completing a particular feat in the game also unlocks it.

As for what was done with the rest of the magic pieces.... boo. Giving them a LightCore-esque blast was lame and took away what made "collect them all" into bleh.

Well yes, this is what I would have assumed they would have done. I mentioned races because that would be the best bang for the buck considering this game is all about racing. I didn't expect the Adventure Pack pieces to unlock a new level in Giants and I still don't but when it comes to a game with reportedly minimal post game content and is primarily a racing game, why not.

Now that I know the reported animosity between the two devs, I'm actually quite appalled. TfB are clearly not about progression if they want to remove the jumping button (and honestly I lost major respect for them for that, it's a simple mechanic and they would have wanted it nonexistent in Skylanders? Is because some cheap upgrades like flight and all that became even more embarrassingly cheap?).

I'm team VV all the way though. Two of the three Skylanders games they've developed (Spyro's Adventure 3DS and SwapForce) have been a complete joy for me (haven't gotten around to SuperChargers) whereas TfB has had two that I've found bland, weak and/or uninspired (Giants and Trap Team).

Quote: Drek95

Quote: HeyitsHotDog

Drek, I have to ask ya, say TfB made SF and VV made TT. Do you think VV would have cut swapping in their TT?

No, absolutely.
But simply because that was a character based feature and they would have been crazy to remove it.
I mean... I can still swap my figures in real life, why wouldn't it affect gameplay...?

But I do think TfB would have kept V.V.'s traps if they were to create the fifth game.
Even if vehicles were still the main gimmick.
I happen to think SuperChargers would have been a lot different (not necessarily better) if TfB developed it, bad Activision choices aside.

I am not sure TfB would, but not by their desicion. I suspect V.V. wanted to include Traps the proper way but Acti forced them to down grade them to just powers for vehicles. Acti possibly thought Traps would have distracted from vehicles.

Yep, would sincerely like to know how much Activision influenced this game and the others.
I'm convinced V.V. care less about what has been and more about what will be but that being said I'm sure they wouldn't have ditched traps if they didn't received orders from above.

I indeed think SuperChargers suffered more because of Activision rather than the devs.

I think they should at least learn to work TOGETHER for the last Skylanders game, whenever that is (hopefully around 10). Toys for Bob can do character design, voices, and toy production; Vicarious Visions can do gimmick design, graphics, and... whatever else happens in game production I can't think of . Both of them can work together (SCANDALOUS!) on level design, story, and game features, each balancing out the other. They both (especially TfB ) need to understand that working together is the only way that this series can continue successfully.

Quote: AdamGregory03

Quote: TakeYourLemons

Expect nothing. You'll get something absolutely trivial and stupid, like the Trap "boosts" to vehicles this year.

Actually, that's not a bad idea.

If we expect nothing, then we can say the game exceeded all of our expectations and can't be disappointed!

That's one way to think of it. The other thought is that if we accept this level of support then the spiral of disappointment will continue because that's not what was promised originally. Granted, things change...just doesn't sit well with me. Everyone saw my rage with Trap support, but Activision has trained me now to "accept" the disappointment. Kudos.

They will just be used as Museum items