Chefelf.com Night Life: Another Art of Theft ZP Fan-Fiction Deal... - Chefelf.com Night Life

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Another Art of Theft ZP Fan-Fiction Deal...

#1 User is offline   Rothul Icon

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Posted 04 December 2007 - 05:57 AM

I realize that someone has already beaten me to the punch on this one, but its been going around in my head since I played and loved Art of Theft. So... for your consideration, my Art of Theft Zero Punctuation Fan-Fiction Review Thing.

"Art of Theft is the latest AGS release from Yahtzee, and as the name would imply it's a stealth-theft game starring the author's most beloved character Trilby. Of course, you must keep in mind that by "beloved", I mean the only one with any distinguishing characteristic whatsoever, in this case a hat. Trilby is a gentleman thief, and so I'd say it was nice that he was getting back to his roots, if it wasn't for the fact that his previous exploits have all been in the "fighting Lovecraftian Horrors" tally, rather than the "thieving" one. But hey, it's a prequel so lets run with it.

The game-play consists of what you would expect the standard stealth 2d platforming elements to be, if it wasn't for the fact that a similar game refuses to come to mind: you skulk around like the Hunchback Prince of Notre Persia, stealing things and cracking safes, while avoiding a host of things that will make annoying sound effects if you get too close to them. The game supposedly takes place in America, but you could have fooled me, considering that no one is packing heat, and in even the most secure facilities, guards will obligingly hold their hats and quiver as you slowly approach them with an umbrella tazer. This, incidentally, I found to be the best part of the game as I will completely get behind anything featuring a flashing skeleton sprite, and so went around gleefully shocking everyone in sight until I realized I was being penalized for it. This element seems rather counterintuitive to me: why would a game give you Chekhov's zappy-fun-stick if it didn't want you to use it? I suppose Trilby's pacifism is supposed to ensure the player stays on his side, morally, but you'd think the fact that you're apparently going up against Adolf Von Satan's Mind-Raping facility would be sufficient to get us behind the charismatic anti-hero.

Of course, mission-based games like this aren't meant to be played, so much as replayed to perfection so that you can unlock all the bells and whistles that are now useless because you've scored A+++ on everything the game has to offer, so what's the point? Anyway, even in this aspect there are some flaws: the game is rather inconsistent as to what previous knowledge Trilby is able to remember when he redoes a heist. Security codes change, but the wire-boxes don't, suggesting that Trilby has a mild form of autism wherein he can remember colors but not numbers. This doesn't actually take anything away from the fun, but its just odd that Trilby can remember how to open the secret entrance of the government's sewer facility, but not to look behind the washing machine without being reminded by a note someone thankfully keeps leaving time and time again.

Key to this OCD system of level repetition is the ability to restart your mission once you've buggered it, but the most difficult mission of the game refuses to let you do that, which is the kind of thing that causes keyboard to be thrown against walls. Yes I realize that it's not realistic for Trilby to magically smoke-bomb his way from a secret government facility, but then again neither is how he is apparently able to tuck and roll beneath lasers while carrying 6 paintings and a vase, so you have to ask who's fooling who here. Even this wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't for the fact that the game won't even let you quit to Windows during this sequence. Listen game, the only reason I granted you space on my hard drive that could have otherwise gone to bootleg SNES roms, is my expectation of a certain amount of control. If I want to quit you and play Spider Solitaire, I feel that's my prerogative and you shouldn't force me to lose a button-mashing mini-game to get that option back, all right?

Anyways, this game will feel very familiar to anyone whose played Yahtzee's 1213, sharing as it does many of the mechanics, along with the vaguely-British-conspiracy-with-ill-defined-goals-run-by-a-shadowy-man-in-glasses-leading-to-an-awkward-boss-fight-with-an-exploding-round-thing. Both games really push the AGS system to it's very limits in their design, only I'm not so certain that's a compliment: It's like complimenting a sewing machine for making a good sandwich or a Klik & Play game for being vaguely tolerable... it may be true but it sort of misses the point for what it's designed for. Art of Theft is a great game, but one gets the feeling that Yahtzee's ready to move on to more complicated systems like ZZT or something. "

So there you have it. Keep in mind that my tongue is firmly planted in cheek throughout: I thought the game was great, and the minor issue I attack take nothing away from its excellence.
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#2 User is offline   David-kyo Icon

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Posted 04 December 2007 - 11:13 AM

If that complaint about not being able to quit an AGS game whenever you want to was indeed serious, then I pity you, I really do.
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#3 User is offline   Rothul Icon

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Posted 04 December 2007 - 03:32 PM

It wasn't, as is most of the review in general.
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#4 User is offline   Thaluikhain Icon

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Posted 04 December 2007 - 11:39 PM

nevermind

This post has been edited by Thaluikhain: 04 December 2007 - 11:43 PM

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#5 User is offline   David-kyo Icon

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Posted 05 December 2007 - 03:46 AM

Perhaps it would be funnier with the visuals.
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#6 User is offline   Sniffles Icon

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Posted 05 December 2007 - 08:08 PM

I'm not reading that fucking shit.
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#7 User is offline   Snake Logan Icon

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Posted 05 December 2007 - 10:02 PM

QUOTE (Sniffles @ Dec 6 2007, 12:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm not reading that fucking shit.


You will hurt his feelings if you don’t.
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QUOTE (Game Over @ Feb 14 2008, 07:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yahtzee, you are the Oscar Wilde of the 21st century.

QUOTE (Patch @ Feb 14 2008, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yahtzee is gay?!
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#8 User is offline   Patch Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 12:33 AM

QUOTE (Sniffles @ Dec 6 2007, 11:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm not reading that fucking shit.


I did. It's not worth it.

QUOTE (Snake Logan @ Dec 6 2007, 01:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You will hurt his feelings if you don’t.


Good.


Seriously, not a good idea. Fair enough you want to review it in a humorous way which paradoies Yahtzees, but you should not put it in his forum. That's like going up to someone and spitting in their face.
But to add to this you have gone 'it's okay, it's a joke'. That's like spitting in someones face then laughing expecting them to do so.

Also, never think that you are on the same level as someone else.

See the FR frontpage.
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#9 User is offline   Rothul Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 12:57 AM

Jeez, I didn't want to spit in anyone's face... I just wanted to write an affectionate parody of Zero Punctuation and Art of Theft, and figured that the best place to find people who'd might be interested in it would be the forums that discuss his games. If you didn't think it was funny, fine: I've never pretended to be a reviewer of Yahtzee's caliber... I just thought some people here might find it interesting. Still, is it so wrong to like a game, but still poke fun at it?

As for the FR front page, all it sounds like is that Yahtzee found the Some Punctuation review rather well done, but took issue with the fact that GSM didn't get past the first couple of missions. I apologize if I've somehow offended Yahtzee in some way, but he doesn't seem particularly thin-skinned.
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#10 User is offline   Patch Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 01:27 AM

QUOTE (Rothul @ Dec 6 2007, 03:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Jeez, I didn't want to spit in anyone's face... I just wanted to write an affectionate parody of Zero Punctuation and Art of Theft, and figured that the best place to find people who'd might be interested in it would be the forums that discuss his games. If you didn't think it was funny, fine: I've never pretended to be a reviewer of Yahtzee's caliber... I just thought some people here might find it interesting. Still, is it so wrong to like a game, but still poke fun at it?

As for the FR front page, all it sounds like is that Yahtzee found the Some Punctuation review rather well done, but took issue with the fact that GSM didn't get past the first couple of missions. I apologize if I've somehow offended Yahtzee in some way, but he doesn't seem particularly thin-skinned.


Ugh, okay, I do this a lot.

Perhaps I was a bit... extreme (for lack of a better word). I can be a bit like that. I doubt that you have offended Yahtzee, and I'm well aware you haven't spat in anyones face. It's one of those word thingies that I can't spell. Analergies or something.

I never meant to imply that you thought you were on the same level as Yahtzee. That was me taking a dig at the other guy. I guess this would be a logical place to put the review, but... I can't think of an example right now.

Let's try this. Do you enjoy watching/playing football, but then you go to a place to talk about football then make jokes about the game?

Sorry if I was a bit over the top. My mouth/mind gets me in trouble.

And yes, I didn't find your review particularly amusing.

This post has been edited by Patch: 06 December 2007 - 01:28 AM

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#11 User is offline   Snake Logan Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 03:11 AM

QUOTE (Patch @ Dec 6 2007, 04:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I did. It's not worth it.



Good.


Seriously, not a good idea. Fair enough you want to review it in a humorous way which paradoies Yahtzees, but you should not put it in his forum. That's like going up to someone and spitting in their face.
But to add to this you have gone 'it's okay, it's a joke'. That's like spitting in someones face then laughing expecting them to do so.

Also, never think that you are on the same level as someone else.

See the FR frontpage.


You want segregated forums? Perhaps we should have a pro-Yahtzee and an anti-Yahtzee forum.
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I am an honorary Crogerse.
QUOTE (Game Over @ Feb 14 2008, 07:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yahtzee, you are the Oscar Wilde of the 21st century.

QUOTE (Patch @ Feb 14 2008, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yahtzee is gay?!
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#12 User is offline   David-kyo Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 12:45 PM

That would be very imbalanced.
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#13 User is offline   FFreak3 Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 05:18 PM

down with Nazi Yahtzee!
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#14 User is offline   Snake Logan Icon

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Posted 06 December 2007 - 08:36 PM

QUOTE (David-kyo @ Dec 7 2007, 04:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That would be very imbalanced.


Well the pro-Yahtzee forums doesn’t have to be very big.
Word Vault
A Writing Guild For The Clinically Retarded
I am an honorary Crogerse.
QUOTE (Game Over @ Feb 14 2008, 07:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yahtzee, you are the Oscar Wilde of the 21st century.

QUOTE (Patch @ Feb 14 2008, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yahtzee is gay?!
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#15 User is offline   CJ Marren Icon

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Posted 07 December 2007 - 06:01 AM

I'm anti-nazi and anti-Yahtzee. Both the same, really, from a fashion point of view.
<!--quoteo(post=174818:date=Oct 14 2007, 09:43 AM:name=Cobnat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cobnat @ Oct 14 2007, 09:43 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=174818"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><!--fonto:Microsoft Sans Serif--><span style="font-family:Microsoft Sans Serif"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:2--><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--coloro:#FF0000--><span style="color:#FF0000"><!--/coloro-->Lets all have sex with robots until our groins are sore and bloody!<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--quoteo(post=169306:date=Aug 10 2007, 11:03 AM:name=Legion)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Legion @ Aug 10 2007, 11:03 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=169306"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><!--fonto:Arial--><span style="font-family:Arial"><!--/fonto--><!--coloro:#483D8B--><span style="color:#483D8B"><!--/coloro--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->So why the unholy flying purple donkeypunching fuck will it not work on yours? Just what kind of machine are you running there? Your toaster?<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

And the man again!
<!--quoteo(post=180859:date=Jan 16 2008, 02:29 PM:name=Legion)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Legion @ Jan 16 2008, 02:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=180859"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->In my opinion it's saying, fuck the lightsabers and special effects and fuck your voiceovers and fuck your stupid multimilliondollar game studios; you don't need any of those to make brilliant and scary games that will fuck with your head.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<u><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->My Getting Huge Progress (Gym and weight gain diet)<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--></u>
<b>May '07:</b> 11st (154lbs)
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