Sonic General Discussion Thread v1 - Games

Something about a lot of the level design in Generations just isn't clicking for me to be honest. Modern and Classic sonic both feel really sloppy and it's leading to a lot of deaths that feel more bullshit than deserved. Crisis City has easily been the worst offender so far though. I have to say though, for whatever reason Speed Highway and Planet Wisp on Act 2 feel about a million times better than most of the others. Maybe it's just my unfamiliarity with "Boost" Modern Sonic that's causing the frustration so I'll reserve final judgement until I've gotten more acquainted with the play-style they're putting down for me.

[t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLe___jX0AEdsZ9.jpg[/t] From a GAME pre-order bonus of art cards. Guess this fits that space station-looking stuff in the story trailer.

[QUOTE=RikohZX;52754173][t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLe___jX0AEdsZ9.jpg[/t] From a GAME pre-order bonus of art cards. Guess this fits that space station-looking stuff in the story trailer.[/QUOTE] Could that Death Egg could be the same one that was shown in the Story Trailer via Cutscene? [t]https://puu.sh/xSoyc/8c99bde222.jpg[/t]

Well, [url=https://psnprofiles.com/trophies/6774-sonic-forces]the PS4 Trophy list is up.[/url] No significant story spoilers besides the general flow of the game and (surprise surprise) [sp]saving the world by the end with Infinite presumably being the final boss.[/sp] It seems to instead show a hell of a lot of trophies for unlocks and extra content, the stuff that SEGA's been keeping under wraps excessively for seemingly no good reason.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN6QbTNSZ9g[/media] So control inputs and graphics are at different frame rates. This seems odd.

[QUOTE=Fangz;52761065]-video- So control inputs and graphics are at different frame rates. This seems odd.[/QUOTE] Wasn't that the reason why the input was so laggy during the E3 Builds? I mean i'm hoping this was a last minute decision because separating controls and visual input between separate frames seems only foul for input lag. But hey i'm not a programming wizard so i can't say that i know this. I only hope this means the Controls function well.

Recap of the IDW Sonic Comic Event: [QUOTE] * Ian Flynn is back as lead writer * Issues 1-4 will be released every wednesday starting April 4 2018. After that the comic will move to monthly release cycle. * Crossovers were asked. It will be a while. Maybe a year. They want to get the current series established first. * Previous writers coming back? “There may or may not be some creators you know and love”. * SEGA does impose certain “restrictions” on the characters, but the comics allow for the freedom to do things they can’t do in the games. Primary job is to “tell the best stories possible”. * The Freedom Fighters returning? “Stay tuned”. They’re aware of the demand, though. * The comics will start completely fresh with issue #1. * “We’re specifically making this world built in a world IDW controls separate from the games”. Aaron is at the event. He added more to say there might be occasional tie-in with a game, but stay tuned. * They made a big deal about the comics being a fresh start with characters and they’re telling brand new stories. It was their answer to multiple questions. * Modern Sonic is the focus. No multiple versions of Sonic running around, including Classic Sonic. * SEGA’s restrictions are not that high. They just want to make sure that they do things properly without jumping the shark. * IDW’s thoughts on Sonic the Comic: “For now, we really want to establish a new Sonic comic. Our focus is on something new and exciting.” * Aaron says that “things happened” on why the Archie era story arc suddenly stopped the way they did, but he says that sometimes these kinds of things happen. “There are reasons – trust us. I wish we could go into more detail. It’s tough for us too.” * Will IDW have its own Sonic Universe? “We’re taking nothing off the table, but we’re focusing on the brand-new series right now.” * They may create some original characters. * “How many of you would want to see a Sonic Forces comic?” Crowd cheers. “Good to know, we’ll pass that on.” * There was a question about backstory on the characters in Sonic Forces. Aaron’s answer: “wait and see”. * Open to audience reaction: how would original IDW characters factor into the stories? TONS of support for annoying sidekicks. * Creative process for the comics? “Ian has an incredible imagination – he could write these comics forever.” * Apparently Ian had his pitches ready for IDW immediately. * “We can use anything from the games.” * Ken Penders was brought up, asked if he was behind this. Only answer? “I don’t know who that is”. * There will be new artists. Wait and see. [/QUOTE]

I think "cautiously optimistic" is the word to look for here.

The panel was about what I expected--SEGASonic the comic.

[QUOTE=Megalan;52761420]Recap of the IDW Sonic Comic Event:[/QUOTE] I wish them luck on that. I do hope they do a better job with the comic now that they really have a fresh start. It was getting good after the Pendering, but the story quickly became convoluted and messy afterwards.

besides the penders shit they still had to deal with the problem of being based on SatAM and then having to figure out ways to get the new games in as they came out , which lead to some very strange decisions. Starting with the established games as a base (fleetway doesn't count) and adding elements on top of that works a lot better. They already proved the theory once after the archie reboot, but it was bogged down by the megaman crossover and didn't get a chance to get fully rolling. With Flynn on board I'm a lot more confident in IDW now

Interesting group of videos detailing Sonic Boom and what happened from its initial showing to its release. [media]https://youtu.be/6x5324kZhZ0[/media] [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YBpnt8HePU[/media] [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_gfiwvY1U0[/media]

[QUOTE=Conro101;52769682]besides the penders shit they still had to deal with the problem of being based on SatAM and then having to figure out ways to get the new games in as they came out , which lead to some very strange decisions. Starting with the established games as a base (fleetway doesn't count) and adding elements on top of that works a lot better. They already provee the theory once after the archie reboot, but it was bogged down by the megaman crossover and didn't get a chance to get fully rolling. With Flynn on board I'm a lot more confident in IDW now[/QUOTE] I don't think being based on SatAM was the problem there--the game tie-ins were. As far as the reboot is concerned, I didn't find it particularly enchanting, and that's about the time I ended my subscription after having followed the book for 15 years.

More forces content tomorrow according to their social media

Can someone please reassure me that King Boom Boo is the worst boss in SA2 because I'm really enjoying the game but this dude is making me go fuckin nuclear.

[QUOTE=The Civ;52771022]Can someone please reassure me that King Boom Boo is the worst boss in SA2 because I'm really enjoying the game but this dude is making me go fuckin nuclear.[/QUOTE] Yeah, he's definitely the worst in the Hero Story at least, and the boss after him isn't that much better but can be fun if you learn a few tricks to make it go faster. In my opinion, most of the bosses in the game are needlessly hard or just boring to fight against. Outside of the rival fights and final boss, the bosses aren't really memorable, except for how much trouble they gave you in your first playthrough.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoMhHRktXvo[/media] Someone else is making a Sonic 3 sprites mod for Mania now, and he's actually created and worked over new frames to keep things smooth rather than use .bin magic like the other one. Not sure what to think about the new looking-up animation though.

[QUOTE=RikohZX;52771238][media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoMhHRktXvo[/media] Someone else is making a Sonic 3 sprites mod for Mania now, and he's actually created and worked over new frames to keep things smooth rather than use .bin magic like the other one. Not sure what to think about the new looking-up animation though.[/QUOTE] Absolutely amazing! I'm glad fan modding finally got around to that. I prefer the Sonic 3 sprite and I was a bit disappointed (only in the nit picky sense) to see that Mania went back to the Sonic 1/2 sprite style after seeing the jumpy in fidelity in Sonic 3&K.

Always thought the S3 sprite looked weird. Still is. Dunno what it is.

[QUOTE=Lord Exor;52770005]I don't think being based on SatAM was the problem there--the game tie-ins were. As far as the reboot is concerned, I didn't find it particularly enchanting, and that's about the time I ended my subscription after having followed the book for 15 years.[/QUOTE] even without the game tie ins we got such gems as Nate Morgan, the world's shortest and ugliest man who was from a scrapped SatAM idea [t]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/archiesonic/images/2/22/Nate_Morgan.png[/t] this is a great look for our comic about fun animal characters! Nate Morgan was a scientist buddy of uncle chuck who invented rings. that's right, this weird lookin old dude made the quintessential game collectable besides coins. nobody liked him, he did nothing interesting, and eventually the writers nuked him (yes really) and leaving alone Nate Fucking Morgan, with no new stuff to work off of the comic would go off the rails anyway on the path it had (pender's evil echidna family trapped in some parallel dimension, that time aliens kidnapped tails' parents, a pop star inciting riots against the AI keeping a nanobot city together because what could go wrong there???) I appreciate you like SatAM's world. It's an interesting setting, but from day 1 it was not like the games. you're setting yourself up for disappointment going into a panel about a Sonic comic and then getting all curmudgeony that it's based on the well known, liked, mainstream (and profitable) Sonic universe instead of a cartoon that ran for two seasons [I]20 years ago.[/I]

[QUOTE=Conro101;52771620]even without the game tie ins we got such gems as Nate Morgan, the world's shortest and ugliest man who was from a scrapped SatAM idea [t]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/archiesonic/images/2/22/Nate_Morgan.png[/t] this is a great look for our comic about fun animal characters! Nate Morgan was a scientist buddy of uncle chuck who invented rings. that's right, this weird lookin old dude made the quintessential game collectable besides coins. nobody liked him, he did nothing interesting, and eventually the writers nuked him (yes really) and leaving alone Nate Fucking Morgan, with no new stuff to work off of the comic would go off the rails anyway on the path it had (pender's evil echidna family trapped in some parallel dimension, that time aliens kidnapped tails' parents, a pop star inciting riots against the AI keeping a nanobot city together because what could go wrong there???) I appreciate you like SatAM's world. It's an interesting setting, but from day 1 it was not like the games. you're setting yourself up for disappointment going into a panel about a Sonic comic and then getting all curmudgeony that it's based on the well known, liked, mainstream (and profitable) Sonic universe instead of a cartoon that ran for two seasons [I]20 years ago.[/I][/QUOTE] A show that arguably still holds up story wise but not particularly animation wise. Well in my opinion that is.

I'm not here to tell anyone they can't like SatAM, I'm just saying there was pretty much a zero chance a modern day adaptation of Sonic, a game series, wouldn't use Sonic, the game series

[QUOTE=Conro101;52771707]I'm not here to tell anyone they can't like SatAM, I'm just saying there was pretty much a zero chance a modern day adaptation of Sonic, a game series, wouldn't use Sonic, the game series[/QUOTE] I mean if we wanna split hairs, Sonic X played so fast and loose with its game tie-ins and both started and ended as its own thing, complete with a flanderized cast that influenced the games right back for years afterwards.

[QUOTE=Conro101;52771620]even without the game tie ins we got such gems as Nate Morgan, the world's shortest and ugliest man who was from a scrapped SatAM idea [t]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/archiesonic/images/2/22/Nate_Morgan.png[/t] this is a great look for our comic about fun animal characters! Nate Morgan was a scientist buddy of uncle chuck who invented rings. that's right, this weird lookin old dude made the quintessential game collectable besides coins. nobody liked him, he did nothing interesting, and eventually the writers nuked him (yes really) and leaving alone Nate Fucking Morgan, with no new stuff to work off of the comic would go off the rails anyway on the path it had (pender's evil echidna family trapped in some parallel dimension, that time aliens kidnapped tails' parents, a pop star inciting riots against the AI keeping a nanobot city together because what could go wrong there???) I appreciate you like SatAM's world. It's an interesting setting, but from day 1 it was not like the games. you're setting yourself up for disappointment going into a panel about a Sonic comic and then getting all curmudgeony that it's based on the well known, liked, mainstream (and profitable) Sonic universe instead of a cartoon that ran for two seasons [I]20 years ago.[/I][/QUOTE] Okay, I think it's about time I provide some context over the reason some people here think I come across as an irascible old fart that can't appreciate anything modern. Yes, I was born in 1988 and grew up in the Nineties, but I'm not a product of nostalgia; in fact, I can't stand opinions based on rose-tinted perceptions. How I came to cling to older ideas is a bit more complicated than that, and it stems from how intellectual properties tended to be handled in that era. The Nineties were a period of tremendous experimentation, and given the prosperous economic climate, companies were inclined to blast ideas, shotgun-style, at the spider web that was the public consciousness. The concepts that resonated most with consumers were supported in the long term, while the rest were ultimately discarded when companies began to streamline and consolidate in the decade to come. This cycle produced many offshoots, spin-offs, and oddities that took existing brands and turned them on their heads--Sonic was no exception to this. I don't really need to give you a history lesson on the strife between SEGA's American and Japanese branches, but suffice it to say SEGA of America had different ideas on how they wanted to market their new mascot. Knowing they needed a strategy to compete with a juggernaut like Nintendo, SoA's marketing team decided they would attempt to sway a slightly more "mature" demographic to their console; their entire conceit was that the Genesis, and its brand, would be "cooler," "edgier," and "sleeker." Sonic needed to be adapted to that idea, and one of their most famous examples of this was in how they treated the character's primary antagonist. Eggman was immediately translated as "Robotnik": gone was the bespectacled, grinning visage, in its place would be a perpetual snarl and soulless black voids for eyes. SoA didn't think a character with the name of "Eggman" would be taken seriously, and I happened to agree with them. In parallel with this shift in marketing came several cartoons that followed the aforementioned "shotgun" approach to testing new ideas; working with DiC, they somehow thought it would be a good plan to air two vastly disparate cartoons concurrently. These cartoons varied significantly in how they portrayed their titular character, along with the world he inhabited. Further confusing the matter would be the Archie comic adaptation, which likewise shifted back and forth in tone like a person suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Many comics in addition to Archie's were published in countries other than the United States, all offering a unique take on the hedgehog. This unfortunately caused brand dilution, and I don't exactly fault SEGA for deciding to unify the property starting with [I]Sonic Adventure[/I] onward. The problem was, the brand identity that won out wasn't the one I personally enjoyed. Like many of the ideas that took existing properties in wildly divergent directions ([I]Beast Wars[/I] and [I]Beast Machines[/I] for Transformers, [I]Deep Space Nine[/I] for Star Trek, FUNimation's dub of DBZ etc.), I happened to like them--even prefer them. As the economy grew worse and companies were no longer afforded the financial latitude to experiment in that capacity, brands across the board were streamlined and consolidated, and those wild ideas were left for dead. This was compounded by the rise of social media, which led companies to strive for even stronger and more consistent brand identities as they marketed their products on more platforms than ever before. I was unfortunately a casualty of that shift, and to this day it frustrates me to no end when I find myself in minority demographics [I]even within[/I] popular franchises. This means that I'm almost never catered to or targeted by companies, and it's unpleasant.

I'm way to tired to give a informed reply, so I won't try but I'll point out that I grew up in the 90's as well (1989 birthyear) Don't try to bring age into arguments unless A) You know the other persons age B) You have a unique perspective on a topic. Just my 2 cents.

[QUOTE=Sift;52772191]I'm way to tired to give a informed reply, so I won't try but I'll point out that I grew up in the 90's as well (1989 birthyear) Don't try to bring age into arguments unless A) You know the other persons age B) You have a unique perspective on a topic. Just my 2 cents.[/QUOTE] Except I never implied my perspective was universal, or that age had anything to do with it? I was responding to someone calling me curmudgeonly over an old cartoon. Obviously not everyone is going to share the same opinion regardless of which era they grew up in, I'm merely explaining how the variety that was present back then impacted me personally before certain brands began homogenizing.

[QUOTE=usaokay;52772538]I'm binging on Sonic Boom episodes, and it's the best shit ever.[/QUOTE] After watching Boom I honestly warmed up to the character designs. Amy especially is really well designed with Tails being a close second. [Img]https://img00.deviantart.net/c131/i/2015/232/a/d/who_s_your_favorite_amy_rose_mordern_or_boom_by_blackotakuz-d96iuox.png[/img]

[QUOTE=Conro101;52771707]I'm not here to tell anyone they can't like SatAM, I'm just saying there was pretty much a zero chance a modern day adaptation of Sonic, a game series, wouldn't use Sonic, the game series[/QUOTE] I wasn't expecting SatAM, I was hoping for a fresh take on the character. Let's be honest, the games aren't exactly host to a consistent setting or compelling cast. Most of the characters are about as fascinating as cardboard with just the games as reference material (Amy Rose is a generic fangirl, Knuckles is... there, the Chaotix have little going on, etc) and the stories told with them aren't very good. It would take a fairly exceptional writer to take those characters and mold them into something worthy of extended investment from readers, especially in a serialized format like this. I'm not familiar with the creative talent involved in the [I]Sonic Boom[/I] TV show, but I'd say the consensus is that they've accomplished a quality product. Surprise surprise, it's yet another unique take on the property that doesn't hew as close to the world of the games. Now I'd imagine IDW is aiming for more of a balance of action and comedy, rather than another sitcom. As far as crafting something creative and original, Ian Flynn isn't the brightest star in the sky. He's the J.J. Abrams of Sonic; he plays nice with executive authority and his stories are derivative enough to appease large swaths of a fanbase on a superficial level. Obscure references, memes, and fan-favorites are the fundamental themes strewn throughout his work, and those are the concepts constantly percolating through his head. Having met the man and conversed with him at length, in addition to having been a prominent member of his (now closed) online community, I can say with reasonable authority that this comic will feature more of the same. Now, a comic riddled with self-referential material and fan service may be very appealing to many fans, but I wanted something more. I was honestly anticipating fresh blood, authors with very little experience working on the series and possessing no preferences or bias. While I'm sure Ian will try to work in references he believes will satiate fans of SatAM, I'm not going to appreciate it. When you try to please everyone with the same product, you end up diluting what captivated people in the first place, in which case I'd rather have something entirely original. Remember "Egg SWATs?" They were a perfect example of this philosophy, and I don't think they satisfied anyone. The people that like Egg Pawns like them because they're goofy and idiosyncratic, while the people that like SWATbots enjoy them because of the edgier stormtrooper motif--do you really think merging the two is going to make everyone happy?

[URL="http://sega-press.com/download/167992/557e5f1345e74e42d70e57b80133aa2aaa36698e"]Part 1 of Sonic Forces prequel comic has been released[/URL]. This is an official comic written by Ian Flynn.

[QUOTE=Lord Exor;52773065]I wasn't expecting SatAM, I was hoping for a fresh take on the character. Let's be honest, the games aren't exactly host to a consistent setting or compelling cast. Most of the characters are about as fascinating as cardboard with just the games as reference material (Amy Rose is a generic fangirl, Knuckles is... there, the Chaotix have little going on, etc) and the stories told with them aren't very good. It would take a fairly exceptional writer to take those characters and mold them into something worthy of extended investment from readers, especially in a serialized format like this. I'm not familiar with the creative talent involved in the [I]Sonic Boom[/I] TV show, but I'd say the consensus is that they've accomplished a quality product. Surprise surprise, it's yet another unique take on the property that doesn't hew as close to the world of the games. Now I'd imagine IDW is aiming for more of a balance of action and comedy, rather than another sitcom. As far as crafting something creative and original, Ian Flynn isn't the brightest star in the sky. He's the J.J. Abrams of Sonic; he plays nice with executive authority and his stories are derivative enough to appease large swaths of a fanbase on a superficial level. Obscure references, memes, and fan-favorites are the fundamental themes strewn throughout his work, and those are the concepts constantly percolating through his head. Having met the man and conversed with him at length, in addition to having been a prominent member of his (now closed) online community, I can say with reasonable authority that this comic will feature more of the same. Now, a comic riddled with self-referential material and fan service may be very appealing to many fans, but I wanted something more. I was honestly anticipating fresh blood, authors with very little experience working on the series and possessing no preferences or bias. While I'm sure Ian will try to work in references he believes will satiate fans of SatAM, I'm not going to appreciate it. When you try to please everyone with the same product, you end up diluting what captivated people in the first place, in which case I'd rather have something entirely original. Remember "Egg SWATs?" They were a perfect example of this philosophy, and I don't think they satisfied anyone. The people that like Egg Pawns like them because they're goofy and idiosyncratic, while the people that like SWATbots enjoy them because of the edgier stormtrooper motif--do you really think merging the two is going to make everyone happy?[/QUOTE] If done correctly I can see it working to a degree, but only if both the Egg pawn and SWATbots are properly established in the story.