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[gondee]

It might be a love it or hate it thing, but I think this method of competing against one another encourages more communication both inside and outside the game. You can party chat while you're on the same runs or simply challenging their other run scores.

But this is only for people on X-box live, Soultron. What are people on PSN going to do? The messaging system on PSN is so awful as to be prohibitive. It is RIDICULOUS that you have to do it any other way than in-game. Not everyone has computers.

So GAFFers want to friend each other in the event you will play each other online right? You can't do that in game, from what we've seen. You have to organize some outside method, via Skype or a thread on GAF or wahtever. All you're basically doing friending people is increasing the amount of people you can potentially pass when you complete an event and earn a few more credits.

Asynchronous multiplayer is not true multiplayer.

 

[Chamber]

It might be a love it or hate it thing, but I think this method of competing against one another encourages more communication both inside and outside the game. You can party chat while you're on the same runs or simply challenging their other run scores.

Outside of the game, if they're really good friends of yours, you can text them (maybe the SSX app will let you message people through that) saying, "I just demolished your score on ___________."

I think that sounds great for Trick It competitions. For racing, doesn't it just boil down to being time trial?

 

[JWong]

I think that sounds great for Trick It competitions. For racing, doesn't it just boil down to being time trial?

Pretty much. You won't have player collisions in multiplayer. You just ride through them. No player interaction. No real need for "true" multiplayer.

This isn't road rash.

 

[Fantastical]

I love how some members (myself included) are posting their thoughts in this thread and on MC simultaneously.

Pretty much. You won't have player collisions in multiplayer. You just ride through them. No player interaction. No real need for "true" multiplayer.

This isn't road rash.

I don't think it really matters if you can knock into them or not. There is something that is more satisfying about racing against your friends at the same time then just essentially beating their time.

 

[Hale-XF11]

What in the what?? There's no actual real-time racing? You guys are pulling my leg, right? Does this mean no more brawling when you're side by side against an opponent?

Hype deflated.

 

[JWong]

I don't think it really matters if you can knock into them or not. There is something that is more satisfying about racing against your friends at the same time then just essentially beating their time.

Yep... "something"... I totally get it.

 

[Chamber]

What in the what?? There's no actual real-time racing? You guys are pulling my leg, right? Does this mean no more brawling when you're side by side against an opponent?

Hype deflated.

There is real time racing. It's just not exactly easy to facilitate it.

The more I think about this, the more bummed I am.

 

[Hale-XF11]

I think I understand now, but it doesn't sound good.

 

[Ghost23]

What's wrong with lobbies?! This multiplayer news is extremely disappointing for me.

 

[JWong]

What's wrong with lobbies?! This multiplayer news is extremely disappointing for me.

Rather be looking at snow than a menu.

 

[-bakalhau-]

There is real time racing.

Where?

 

[soultron]

But this is only for people on X-box live, Soultron. What are people on PSN going to do? The messaging system on PSN is so awful as to be prohibitive. It is RIDICULOUS that you have to do it any other way than in-game. Not everyone has computers.

So GAFFers want to friend each other in the event you will play each other online right? You can't do that in game, from what we've seen. You have to organize some outside method, via Skype or a thread on GAF or wahtever. All you're basically doing friending people is increasing the amount of people you can potentially pass when you complete an event and earn a few more credits.

Asynchronous multiplayer is not true multiplayer.

There might be messaging supported by the mobile phone app. Maybe they'll have a messaging system down the line. I really don't know yet because we've not seen enough of Global Events in action to fully say that it's going to be an obtrusive system.

I'm not really understanding your second paragraph right now. Can you clarify?

I think it will be easy to set up your own pseudo-live events by using voice chat with your current online friends, "Want to meet up on Kilimanjaro," and so forth. And I think you're reducing the spirit of competition a bit when you say stuff like you're only accruing friends so that you can, "[increase] the amount of people you can potentially pass when you complete an event and earn a few more credits." I think it runs deeper than that. Sure, you'll be earning more money, but if you want to put the effort in, you can get a decent rivalry going between select targets who occasionally destroy your times and scores. You can "follow" them around the globe and try to trounce their scores.

I had a great time doing this in Skate 2, trying to own turf that my friends had taken away from me. It meant I had to get better at the game and really dig into the math of the trick system in order to regain turf. The feeling once you finally stick a good line and get that score you're looking for is sublime. I really look forward to that feeling in SSX, only extrapolated further because it's not just single obstacles like in Skate 2 -- it's entire runs.

 

[Ghost23]

Rather be looking at snow than a menu.

I'll look at a menu if it means I can conveniently play with friends head to head.

 

[Baconsammy]

Has there been any in-game demonstration footage of the PS3 version yet? Hopefully there will be a demo so I can compare them directly, but otherwise all there is to go on is videos.

 

[Stackboy]

I thought in both the Giant Bomb Quick look and the IGN livestream they confirmed live head-to-head racing?

 

[JWong]

I'll look at a menu if it means I can conveniently play with friends head to head.

Can conveniently play with friends while looking at snow.

Watch the 2nd part of the online features.

 

[Fantastical]

Yep... "something"... I totally get it.

Racing in real time against your friends is way more competitive than asynchronously racing against each others' times.

I'm not sure why you are so against live multiplayer anyways. It's not like you would have to do it. It would be an option for those that want it, and honestly it should be expected in a game like this. It annoys me that Batty has said repeatedly "We didn't want menus" because it makes it sound like the team is innovating in that field someway. Instead, they just sidestepped the direct multiplayer and went for asynchronous. If Batty found a way around menus, like maybe you could snowboard while waiting and then start at the top again for the real race, that would be a good compromise.

 

[Mr Touchdown]

PSN: madman0017

In Australia. I look forward to looking at everyone's scores and crying

 

[Baconsammy]

I thought in both the Giant Bomb Quick look and the IGN livestream they confirmed live head-to-head racing?

Just watched the IGN livestream. He said you can't play against anyone directly except in the Daily/World challenge or whatever that's called, but he didnt explain further what playing against someone directly actually meant. It kinda sounded like he meant posting scores at the same exact time as they do. I hope I'm wrong, because no replays, no split-screen, and no ability to directly just play against someone on my friends list on any track I want is a major bummer.

 

[JWong]

Racing in real time against your friends is way more competitive than asynchronously racing against each others' times.

I'm not sure why you are so against live multiplayer anyways. It's not like you would have to do it. It would be an option for those that want it, and honestly it should be expected in a game like this. It annoys me that Batty has said repeatedly "We didn't want menus" because it makes it sound like the team is innovating in that field someway. Instead, they just sidestepped the direct multiplayer and went for asynchronous. If Batty found a way around menus, like maybe you could snowboard while waiting and then start at the top again for the real race, that would be a good compromise.

How is it competitive when you're not able to interact with them?

You're essentially racing against a ghost "in real time". The only difference, if it even makes a difference, is that you'll be talking to them at the same time.

And, yes, you can wait at the top for your friends, unless I'm completely misunderstanding what the online feature video said. But it's not going to make it more competitive than how the ghost system works.

 

[Stackboy]

It sounds like you guys are making mountains out of mole hills. You could just tell your friend to do that slope at the same time you are. Is it really a big deal if you can't go down the mountain at the same time, but still retain the competitive nature of the game? Really?

 

[-bakalhau-]

Is it really a big deal if you can't go down the mountain at the same time?

Yeah, it is.

 

[Baconsammy]

It sounds like you guys are making mountains out of mole hills. You could just tell your friend to do that slope at the same time you are. Is it really a big deal if you can't go down the mountain at the same time, but still retain the competitive nature of the game? Really?

What is this, 2002?

 

[InertiaXr]

It sounds like you guys are making mountains out of mole hills. You could just tell your friend to do that slope at the same time you are. Is it really a big deal if you can't go down the mountain at the same time, but still retain the competitive nature of the game? Really?

SSX 3 had this when it was released in October 2003, over 8 years ago. Why would you ever defend this one not having it?

 

[LaneDS]

Withholding judgement on the multiplayer till I can try it. Might be rad despite some things that sound questionable at this point (or not).

 

[-bakalhau-]

Well my problem isn't with having RiderNet or Global Events. I love them. I'll really enjoy them. It's NOT having traditional multiplayer.

 

[Baconsammy]

Well my problem isn't with having RiderNet or Global Events. I love them. I'll really enjoy them. It's NOT having traditional multiplayer.

Yep. Ridernet sounds amazing when friends aren't online.

 

[Chamber]

It sounds like you guys are making mountains out of mole hills. You could just tell your friend to do that slope at the same time you are. Is it really a big deal if you can't go down the mountain at the same time, but still retain the competitive nature of the game? Really?

A racing game without multiplayer racing?

I excused the lack of split-screen because I just assumed it would have proper online racing. This is pretty bad.

 

[LaneDS]

SSX is a lot of things. I wouldn't just label it as "a racing game" and be done with it. Most of my memories of the first three games have little to do with the racing.

Either way, I get why people are miffed. No splitscreen is definitely disappointing to me and I doubt that'll change once I have the game in hand, but the other stuff might turn out to be fine.

 

[StrikerObi]

I love how some members (myself included) are posting their thoughts in this thread and on MC simultaneously.



I don't think it really matters if you can knock into them or not. There is something that is more satisfying about racing against your friends at the same time then just essentially beating their time.

Seems like the MC crew is really self-entitled though, as if the game was being made only for them... which I guess should be expected since it is the SSX fan-site.

This lack of direct multiplayer is definitely a bummer though, but at the end of the day I don't think it will be a huge deal-breaker. It doesn't matter at ALL for Trick events, or for DDs, only for Race. That's probably why they decided to not include it.

 

[Data West]

i never touched the 'mp' on Hot Pursuit. The multiplayer was the autolog for me. I imagine it will be the same here.

 

[-bakalhau-]

Seems like the MC crew is really self-entitled though, as if the game was being made only for them... which I guess should be expected since it is the SSX fan-site.

We feel disappointed I'd guess. We've aways wanted to race other members and SSX3 was great but it was overly complicated and all for a 1on1 race. SSX On Tour didn't have online, and now it looks like we won't be able to get our 'fix' - again. We're more upset than I would guess most of the people are, but we have our reasoning to be. It means a lot to people there who've wanted to race each other for years. I don't think it's bad feedback though - we're loving the game and we love their ideas for online - we feel like these news hurt the game in a lot of ways, and hurt a bit of the competitive nature of MC and the game itself. And it would be best if it was there, alongside the great asynchronous multiplayer. I myself am being pretty vocal about this I'll admit. But it's not just mindless bitching. We have a lot of people there who are more 'casual' and these news probably won't affect them in any way. Mostly it's the same 7 or 8 people voicing their displeasure. Half of the posts being mine

 

[soultron]

SSX 3 had this when it was released in October 2003, over 8 years ago. Why would you ever defend this one not having it?

The first reason being rewinding. For example, if you're already behind your competitor(s) and have to rewind, there's no way that you're going to win that race from that point forward. You might not ever even see your competitors again, regardless whether or not they choose to rewind at some point. Geotags can be placed during rewinds, so you're taking a tool away from players if you don't allow them to rewind. Rewinding also makes the game more accessible to new players.

The second reason being that this game has much wider environments that can now be explored much more since the new physics system affords this freedom. Some courses are still quite narrow, mind you, but these large open courses mean you might not ever see a player again once you lose sight of them. This also feeds into the last reason, no collisions.

Collisions and the knockdown system are no longer a part of this game. If you're not seeing people (this game will not have ridiculous AI rubber-banding, Batty said this explicitly) then there's no need for a knock down or collision mechanic, in my opinion. It'd be extra work that developers could better be spending elsewhere. Also, if lag is to be factored in, players not getting their knock down when they felt they should've would be very frustrating. Know that feeling in an FPS when you feel very strongly that you should've finished the other player off first, rather than them miraculously killing you? The same thing applies here. There's no doubt a lot of data going in and out seeing as this game is rendering a huge mountain (drawing geometry at a very fast rate and with long sightlines) and a complex physics simulation at the same time, so maybe lag was something they were worried about. Although it'd be fun to trigger avalanches and use them against your opponents, that's a lot of complex data to be mashing together and sending over a network when there are latency concerns.

I'm optimistic about synchronous multiplayer sometime in the future (either via DLC/patch or a sequel) but I'm also content with the current design choices smartly supporting asynchronous multiplayer. I feel there's still the true spirit of competition to be found here, but it just comes in a different shape that a lot of us might not be used to if you've not played a game that has something like AutoLog. At least we can still see other live players in Global Events and RiderNet is much more than mere leaderboard support.

 

[gondee]

I'm not really understanding your second paragraph right now. Can you clarify?

People on this topic are talking about forming GAF SSX group, with the presumption you will compete against people simultaneously, right? Except you can't do it the way you expect - instead all you're really doing is adding people to compete against in Explore Mode through Rider Net, because you can't organize multiplayer events through the game in SSX.

Seems like the MC crew is really self-entitled though, as if the game was being made only for them... which I guess should be expected since it is the SSX fan-site.

On the contrary, my concern isn't for my website or my crew, it's for the game as a whole. I want SSX to succeed in every way so that no one uses some shortcoming as a reason to not buy the game.

No synchronous multiplayer through the game is a major blow to anyone who picks up the game expecting to play friends. This is a common expectation of any game claiming to play multiplayer. Everyone remembers doing this in SSX. There is a system people expect when they do this - a way to message friends and meet them at an event at the same time IN-GAME, which most games that tout multiplayer have the ability to do. We're pretty sure there's no way to do this in-game.

Right now, it's looking like you can only 'run into' someone else on the mountain. Form a global event, restrict it to friends, invite your friends and then you go to the event and essentially PLAY BY YOURSELF. If someone else is on the track at the same time, you might see them, but you're still only really competing via leaderboards. There is no difference between this mode and Explore except you are limiting the friends that appear on said leaderboard. This is not really true multiplayer.

Arranging something in the game via some OTHER method is completely ridiculous and unnecessary. It's making it more work than it has be - Xbox Live has cross-game chat, but PSN has nothing similar, which means that you are tied to the awful PSN message box to arrange anything in game, which is the same as having nothing at all. Even if I'm online with someone, if I have to be on the same track at the same time to experience actual 'multiplayer' - then I have a one in 153 chance that we'll do that if I don't want to type out a message on PSN.

I'm not pissed off that the game isn't living up to my expectations on a personal level, or even for my community. We can arrange stuff ourselves, and in that we're lucky. But from a game standpoint, I think this design decision is ridiculous when it's very clearly going against what everyone generally expects from a multiplayer game.

The first reason being rewinding.

Not a valid reason. What can happen to you can happen to another player, meaning even if they are ridiculously ahead, they could still wreck themselves and be forced to rewind allowing you to catch up. Rewinding is not a detriment to multiplayer. Wide tracks are not a valid reason either. Burnout Paradise had an entire world to race in, you get to choose the path to the finish line, but did they use that as a reason for not having event multiplayer? No. In fact, they did it well. The fact that SSX doesn't have this is a ludicrous design decision that hurts the game, will cost it ratings points and likely limit the amount of DLC it gets in the future when the game doesn't sell as well as it should.

 

[StrikerObi]

We feel disappointed I'd guess. We've aways wanted to race other members and SSX3 was great but it was overly complicated and all for a 1on1 race. SSX On Tour didn't have online, and now it looks like we won't be able to get our 'fix' - again. We're more upset than I would guess most of the people are, but we have our reasoning to be. It means a lot to people there who've wanted to race each other for years. I don't think it's bad feedback though - we're loving the game and we love their ideas for online - we feel like these news hurt the game in a lot of ways, and hurt a bit of the competitive nature of MC and the game itself. And it would be best if it was there, alongside the great asynchronous multiplayer. I myself am being pretty vocal about this I'll admit. But it's not just mindless bitching. We have a lot of people there who are more 'casual' and these news probably won't affect them in any way. Mostly it's the same 7 or 8 people voicing their displeasure. Half of the posts being mine

I understand the frustration of course, but I feel like anybody that was expecting head-to-head races has had their head in the clouds. The developers have only ever talked about RiderNet.

It seems to me like a case of people holding on to a sliver of hope by taking the fact that EA Canada never specifically said "Head to Head WON'T be included" as proof that it would be included. They set themselves up for disappointment.

I do think this will hurt the game, especially because "No true multiplayer" makes a very nice bullet-point for the "Cons" section of a review.

It doesn't totally make up for it, but the fact that the asynchronous multiplayer system is so insanely robust does help a bit.

There should be a way to set things up in-game, just not fully assisted with a "3...2...1...GO". But you can message friends in the game, you can see Batty doing that to Connor in the IGN and GB videos. He sends custom messages harassing Connor about wrecking his scores on Trickypedia. You could do the same thing by sending a message to a friend "meet on Bulldog in 5 minutes" and then just wait for him at the top in a global event that you created.

Obviously that is not a perfect system, but I don't think you will absolutely NEED a third-party solution (skype, forums, iMessage, whatever) to set this stuff up.

I'm not pissed off that the game isn't living up to my expectations on a personal level, or even for my community. We can arrange stuff ourselves, and in that we're lucky. But from a game standpoint, I think this design decision is ridiculous when it's very clearly going against what everyone generally expects from a multiplayer game.

This makes more sense. I guess I was reading things the wrong way. And I did expect all of that from this game at first as well, but as they started talking about multiplayer it started to become more clear that they were going in a different direction with this game. I do agree that it's ridiculous that in 2012 we can't have an SSX game with head-to-head races, I just realized it a few months ago so I guess I'm OK with it now. From a personal standpoint, the way work schedule and my friends' work schedules are, there is a slim chance we would ever be able to play head-to-head anyway, and that obviously affects my opinion on the matter.

 

[Bgamer90]

I understand the frustration of course, but I feel like anybody that was expecting head-to-head races has had their head in the clouds. The developers have only ever talked about RiderNet.

Where I see where you are coming from, at the same time the PS2 version of SSX 3 had live head to head multiplayer. It's 2012 (8 years later). Online features are more drawn out in games than they were last gen on consoles. It's understandable to assume that the game would have had head to head live multiplayer.

It seems to me like a case of people holding on to a sliver of hope by taking the fact that EA Canada never specifically said "Head to Head WON'T be included" as proof that it would be included. They set themselves up for disappointment.

I don't think it's fair to say that they set themselves up for disappointment for the reasons I stated above.

I do think this will hurt the game, especially because "No true multiplayer" makes a very nice bullet-point for the "Cons" section of a review.

It doesn't totally make up for it, but the fact that the asynchronous multiplayer system is so insanely robust does help a bit.

True. However the game would have been even more enjoyable if you could compete against friends in real time as well. Hearing your friends (or just other random people) via headset while competiting against each other maybe small in difference in comparison to the global events, but in certain situations (e.g.: when most of your friends are online playing SSX), competing head to head in real time while talking smack to each other is more fun.

I do agree that it's ridiculous that in 2012 we can't have an SSX game with head-to-head races, I just realized it a few months ago so I guess I'm OK with it now. From a personal standpoint, the way work schedule and my friends' work schedules are, there is a slim chance we would ever be able to play head-to-head anyway, and that obviously affects my opinion on the matter.

Understandable.

 

[soultron]

Burnout Paradise had an entire world to race in, you get to choose the path to the finish line, but did they use that as a reason for not having event multiplayer? No. In fact, they did it well. The fact that SSX doesn't have this is a ludicrous design decision that hurts the game, will cost it ratings points and likely limit the amount of DLC it gets in the future when the game doesn't sell as well as it should.

One of Burnout's main gameplay hooks was purposely wrecking your opponent. You were given multiple methods of doing this. This isn't the focus in SSX. If you're not going to be getting close enough to other players to wreck them frequently, you're wasting time in development polishing this feature and potentially wasting real-estate on the controller if you're giving the players options to shove/punch like in the past SSX games.

 

[Hale-XF11]

I understand the frustration of course, but I feel like anybody that was expecting head-to-head races has had their head in the clouds. The developers have only ever talked about RiderNet.

I don't think it's unfair to assume that this game, of all games, would have real-time racing. In fact, I'd say it's the main draw of multiplayer for a snowboarding game. At least 1/3 of the SSX experience is RACING. I think a lot of people who don't even follow SSX but pick the new game up anyways will also be confused by this baffling omission. My own personal dream for years now has been to race in SSX against the world, but not like it's being done this gen.

 

[-bakalhau-]

Burnout Paradise had an entire world to race in, you get to choose the path to the finish line, but did they use that as a reason for not having event multiplayer? No. In fact, they did it well.

Good point. A perfect example of something similar to what the developers are saying about SSX racing. And that validates one of my earlier points too - players WILL learn the best route and will stick to them. It is a 8-player online game and the hardcore all went the same route. So there was plenty of contact! And on more casual races there were still 5 players going the same way, or a 3-2-3 setup of 3 different routes but still enough players on each one battling it out.

The actual racing itself was awful though. To give you an idea I'm even more hardcore and dedicated to Burnout than I ever was in SSX. Let me tell you, the only thing that game was bad at was the actual racing. Competitively at least. There was too many things wrong with it and I won't bother saying them now but it plain sucked. But regardless of being bad, it still had the racing! That's the point. It still had it.

 

[gondee]

One of Burnout's main gameplay hooks was purposely wrecking your opponent. You were given multiple methods of doing this. This isn't the focus in SSX.

This is beside the point, dude, and you know it. Racing, Tricking, and every other competitive event isn't about wrecking - it's about making it to the finish line first for bragging rights, or scoring the highest on a track. Not just about posting the fastest time of my friends, but beating my friends in this moment, at this time. NOW.

But can you do this in SSX? Nope.

What if you want to have tournaments in-game with your friends? Can't do it. Me vs. my group of friends right now - who wins? Who is the best at moment in time? Can't do it.

Why? Hell if I know - for some obscure "no lobbies" reason? When it's been proven in past games it can be done WITHOUT lobbies?

I'm not buying this line of crap, and it's not a positive and it can't be spun to be so. It sucks, and it's going to be a detriment to a game that's already having a hard time finding an audience.

 

[soultron]

This is beside the point, dude, and you know it. Racing, Tricking, and every other competitive event isn't about wrecking - it's about making it to the finish line first for bragging rights, or scoring the highest on a track. Not just about posting the fastest time of my friends, but beating my friends in this moment, at this time. NOW.

But can you do this in SSX? Nope.

What if you want to have tournaments in-game with your friends? Can't do it. Me vs. my group of friends right now - who wins? Who is the best at moment in time? Can't do it.

Why? Hell if I know - for some obscure "no lobbies" reason? When it's been proven in past games it can be done WITHOUT lobbies?

I'm not buying this line of crap, and it's not a positive and it can't be spun to be so. It sucks, and it's going to be a detriment to a game that's already having a hard time finding an audience.

I thought the same way about racing games until I played NFS Shift Unleashed 2 using its AutoLog system.

I was also sceptical of Skate 2's method of absentee mutliplayer but then I grew to love it.

Mostly because it gave me the option to partake in multiplayer events even when I had no friends online. There are still ways to enjoy something close to synchronous multiplayer in this game, it's just achieved in a different manner. This is part of my most recent post at Merq, speculating on how to achieve synchronous multiplayer in SSX's Global Events mode:

Why not set up a custom event, invite your friends to it, and then start when everyone shows up? I don't see that as anything more than a very slight, minor annoyance. You could even ride around a bit to practise and then just restart your run when everyone's in there.

I really don't think this will be a problem when we all get our hands on it. I fully understand where you're coming from though, so don't think I'm saying you're wrong.

 

[gondee]

Why not set up a custom event, invite your friends to it, and then start when everyone shows up? I don't see that as anything more than a very slight, minor annoyance. You could even ride around a bit to practise and then just restart your run when everyone's in there.

And how am I going to communicate with them to get there? What if I want to start at the same time? Am I going to be patient in waiting 10 minutes at my character sitting at the starting line?

A Global Event is just a single player event you can play anytime. There is no formal start to the event. Every other game has a formal way to invite players into events. What if I want to do this more than once? What if I only want to invite 3 specific friends? Am I typing out a PSN message to each one EVERY TIME I do a race?

So I spend 2 minutes agonizingly typing up a PSN message, with my controller, to my friends that says "Meet me in Himalayas Serenity Trick Event". Except one of my friends is racing, another is in the bathroom and so they don't get the message. How long am I waiting? How much patience do you think the average player has to do this more than once or twice?

The game should do this for us - this is Multiplayer 101. Not difficult - but SSX doesn't do it.

 

[Bgamer90]

I thought the same way about racing games until I played NFS Shift Unleashed 2 using its AutoLog system.

I was also sceptical of Skate 2's method of absentee mutliplayer but then I grew to love it.

It's not that people are skeptical of the ridernet system. It's just that people want the options to be able to compete with friends through both set-up real time events when their friends are online and ridernet when their friends are offline.

Mostly because it gave me the option to partake in multiplayer events even when I had no friends online. There are still ways to enjoy something close to synchronous multiplayer in this game, it's just achieved in a different manner. This is part of my most recent post at Merq, speculating on how to achieve synchronous multiplayer in SSX's Global Events mode:

I can definitely see there be workarounds no doubt but again, this is 2012. I think that it's wrong for people to even have to do workarounds in the first place.

 

[Bgamer90]

And how am I going to communicate with them to get there?

Party ch-...

Am I typing out a PSN message to each one EVERY TIME I do a race?

oh.

 

[soultron]

It's not that people are skeptical of the ridernet system. It's just that people want the options to be able to compete with friends through both set-up real time events when there friends are online and ridernet when there friends are offline.



I can definitely see there be workarounds no doubt but again, this is 2012. I think that it's wrong for people to even have to do workarounds in the first place.

I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm simply trying to get across the whole, "don't knock it until you try it" mentality. This is the way I've been since day 1 with this game when everyone was hating on it.

I said, "Dudes, chill, you haven't played it. It might be awesome so give it a chance." The same applies here. None of us have played this game's multiplayer/Global Events using RiderNet yet.

I thought I was going to miss racing simultaneously in NFSU2. Truth is, I did less of it because I enjoyed AutoLog so much. I'm not saying this will be the case with SSX, I'm also not saying that I won't miss simultaneous competition. But I'd rather wait and see before I completely blast this game.

And how am I going to communicate with them to get there? What if I want to start at the same time? Am I going to be patient in waiting 10 minutes at my character sitting at the starting line?

Do some runs until they get there. Perhaps there will be an indicator ("Kav has just dropped in!") but I'm not sure yet. Then meet them at the top. Can you not use voice chat on PSN?

A Global Event is just a single player event you can play anytime. There is no formal start to the event. Every other game has a formal way to invite players into events. What if I want to do this more than once? What if I only want to invite 3 specific friends? Am I typing out a PSN message to each one EVERY TIME I do a race?

Does PSN not have one-button invites like XBL? You can usually instantly invite players on XBL by highlighting their name in most games and there will be a button you can press to send an invite.

So I spend 2 minutes agonizingly typing up a PSN message, with my controller, to my friends that says "Meet me in Himalayas Serenity Trick Event". Except one of my friends is racing, another is in the bathroom and so they don't get the message. How long am I waiting? How much patience do you think the average player has to do this more than once or twice?

You're not forced to wait. You can practise the run while you're waiting for them.

The game should do this for us - this is Multiplayer 101. Not difficult - but SSX doesn't do it.

I think you're assuming a lot of things right now. Please provide citations when you say something will not be in the game.

I'm not familiar with PSN, so that's why a lot of this stuff doesn't bother me. I'm not going to turn this into a XBL/PSN thing, but the user experience on XBL is relatively painless.

 

[InertiaXr]

I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm simply trying to get across the whole, "don't knock it until you try it" mentality. This is the way I've been since day 1 with this game when everyone was hating on it.

I said, "Dudes, chill, you haven't played it. It might be awesome so give it a chance." The same applies here. None of us have played this game's multiplayer/Global Events using RiderNet yet.

I thought I was going to miss racing simultaneously in NFSU2. Truth is, I did less of it because I enjoyed AutoLog so much. I'm not saying this will be the case with SSX, I'm also not saying that I won't miss simultaneous competition. But I'd rather wait and see before I completely blast this game.

As long as you didn't miss it in Shift 2 then it'll all be fine, I agree.

No seriously bro, what does 'just wait' mean in this situation? It has no basic simultaneous multiplayer, what is there to wait for? It's missing a basic thing that nearly every FPS since 09 has had, I just can't see many people caring about this when they compare it to Tricky or 3, then they get told it doesn't have the basic multiplayer that they know.

 

[soultron]

As long as you didn't miss it in Shift 2 then it'll all be fine, I agree.

No seriously bro, what does 'just wait' mean in this situation? It has no basic simultaneous multiplayer, what is there to wait for? It's missing a basic thing that nearly every FPS since 09 has had, I just can't see many people caring about this when they compare it to Tricky or 3, then they get told it doesn't have the basic multiplayer that they know.

This isn't an FPS.

This is a race and individual score based game. You don't need simultaneous multiplayer in this type of game (look at games like Trackmania, as has already been mentioned.) for competition to exist.

Does it need simultaneous multiplayer to be fun? Or is this a requirement that must be met before we can even consider this game to be fun?

I'm aware that I'm starting to sound ridiculous, don't you worry.

 

[gondee]

Do some runs until they get there. Perhaps there will be an indicator ("Kav has just dropped in!") but I'm not sure yet. Then meet them at the top. Can you not use voice chat on PSN?

In-game, yes. But there's no indication that there's in-game chat outside of tracks, so while you're waiting there you're greeted with silence, and no confirmation that friends will definitely show up.

Does PSN not have one-button invites like XBL? You can usually instantly invite players on XBL by highlighting their name in most games and there will be a button you can press to send an invite.

Nope, no such thing. It's on a game-by-game basis, done by the game. But you shouldn't have to rely on the network to provide your communication methods. If the game did this, wouldn't they have shown it?

You're not forced to wait. You can practise the run while you're waiting for them.

Except what if I have a good run and finish? Is that not fair to my friend if I'm getting 10-minutes of practice runs? What if I want to just race my friend and move to the next track?

The game should do this for us - this is Multiplayer 101. Not difficult - but SSX doesn't do it.

I think you're assuming a lot of things right now. Please provide citations when you say something will not be in the game.

They've had their chance and haven't addressed the simultaneous multiplayer questions at all. They had a video specifically for multiplayer and two hour-long demonstrations to show us, yet we've seen nothing. That's a pretty loud nothing.

 

[JWong]

And how am I going to communicate with them to get there? What if I want to start at the same time? Am I going to be patient in waiting 10 minutes at my character sitting at the starting line?

A Global Event is just a single player event you can play anytime. There is no formal start to the event. Every other game has a formal way to invite players into events. What if I want to do this more than once? What if I only want to invite 3 specific friends? Am I typing out a PSN message to each one EVERY TIME I do a race?

So I spend 2 minutes agonizingly typing up a PSN message, with my controller, to my friends that says "Meet me in Himalayas Serenity Trick Event". Except one of my friends is racing, another is in the bathroom and so they don't get the message. How long am I waiting? How much patience do you think the average player has to do this more than once or twice?

The game should do this for us - this is Multiplayer 101. Not difficult - but SSX doesn't do it.

Demon Souls doesn't do it, and it was declared fucking brilliant because of it.

 

[Hale-XF11]

I don't think anyone's saying that what's already there won't be fun. In fact, it'll be great fun. What I gather is that real-time multi-player racing will be sorely missed if it is in fact excluded. I always thought it would have been a natural progression of the series to include that. I'm still baffled.