Painkiller Future

[NKC42]

The next Painkiller needs to keep it's chapter structure with each separated into 6-8 distinctive levels. Gold should be able to buy more things besides tarot cards.

Just take a good look at the original game. Everything worked. Do not alter and remove what made it great in the first place, only add some new features. Maybe a Quake 1/Hexen style hub area for each chapter.

First, pk needs to keep its movement (the +forward hop to accelerate with lots of aircontrol is good) because not only will it set it apart from the rest of the fps games being released atm, it will also prevent the campaign from being as bad as Quake 4.

Multiplayer will NOT take off without some sort of movement system, and a feature like autohop will both make it easier for players to learn to move (more focus on where you're going than timing hops) and will avoid the inevitable pk hand cramps that everyone who has ever played duel is familiar with.

Second, more on multiplayer. Look at Quakelive. Moderate success, but failed to really capture everything a pure competitive deathmatch game could have been. If pk is released with ladders, matchmaking, GOOD (not punkbuster) anticheat, and is thoroughly playtested for balance, you might see PK multiplayer became the starcraft 2 of deathmatch FPS. Releasing with these features is key, because a simple promise of ladders isn't going to pull people from other games, just look to the lack of player retention in QuakeLive for evidence of that.

[JK_DC]

I am playing through PK again and I had some thoughts. What if PK were updated a bit with weapon/skill upgrades? For instance the stake gun could be upgraded to shoot through more than 1 enemy if it were lined up correctly. I think it could work if it were limited to only a few straightforward upgrades. It could be a reward like the black tarots are in PK and not given away in the game so it would always be optional. A trauma or beyond difficulty would be needed to still make for a challenge.

Make more games like the first Painkiller with updated graphics and 4 player coop and you have yourself a winner. That's all. Hell, just come out with a patch for the first Painkiller that adds 4 player coop and market it. Tons of sales will ensue.

[Lord Gremlin]

All the basic concepts of original game are still valid. This time use a new engine, make it multiplatform - PC, PS3, 360 (if possible on this tech).
Just take arena combat from original game as basic idea. I would recommend exploring enemy interaction more, like enemies that can make other enemies attack player simultaneously, or, for example, kill other enemies to buff themselves up considerably.

[Sami69]

Well i think it needs optimised and has less bugs than first ones.

Maybe it could include more stronger story. Like if you were hunting warps in real world which might lead to hell before they notice and start to run in here. Just example. Maybe we could have all weapons from either hell or heaven.

Its important to have BOTH sp and mp to be good. For SP i'd put plenty of unlockables, reason to replay levels like not run out of certain ammo or something, music (metal) needs fit levels.

[MADDOGGE]

Stick to what made the first game such a success. Don't ruin it by going down the causal road of a short asses game, small maps, streaming textures made for 256MB of memory, checkpoint only saves, single save slots, single profiles, and for God sake don't waste time and money gimping and defiling a game that's supposed to be SP for the sake of some pos MP that will be dead in no time.

Screw co-op it ruins every game it's put into that isn't a tactical shooter. A single player game should never be co-op and making a separate co-op just for the sake of co-op always gimps the real game, the SP by taking time and money from it development.

I know multi-platform is where the money is at but at least make it the best it can be for all platforms by building to the PC capabilities first for the PC and then adjust down for the consoles versions to their limitations. That way each gets the best version for it's platform.

[Antichrist XVII]

Originally Posted by THRESHER_

-multiplayer focused( duel and co-op, GOOD netcode, original Painkiller weapon set was great! )

Oh my god, no. Seriously, all these ♥♥♥♥ing multiplayer focused games are killing the industry. Multiplayer focused means you get a multiplayer full of campers that will be dead in a month while the single player is ♥♥♥♥ or non-existent. Then new guns, maps, whatever is paid for later on.

[Burro Loco]

Originally Posted by MADDOGGE

Stick to what made the first game such a success. Don't ruin it by going down the causal road of a short asses game, small maps, streaming textures made for 256MB of memory, checkpoint only saves, single save slots, single profiles, and for God sake don't waste time and money gimping and defiling a game that's supposed to be SP for the sake of some pos MP that will be dead in no time.

Screw co-op it ruins every game it's put into that isn't a tactical shooter. A single player game should never be co-op and making a separate co-op just for the sake of co-op always gimps the real game, the SP by taking time and money from it development.

I know multi-platform is where the money is at but at least make it the best it can be for all platforms by building to the PC capabilities first for the PC and then adjust down for the consoles versions to their limitations. That way each gets the best version for it's platform.

QUOTE
FOR
TRUTH.


Stop the stupid rant about multiplayer guys. To build a half decent multiplayer game will cost way much time and money than to build a twice as long single player game.

Seriously guys, Battlefield 3 is going to reign on the multiplayer scene. Trying to fight that monster is pointless, small and medium sized studious would do better investing their time and efforts in trying to create a great single player game, rather then creating an abandoned multi like Shattered Horizon, Plainsight or so many more (sadly).


The features I liked from Painkiller:
Music!! Keep the music style of the first game.
Weapons. Original and versatile.
Variety of scenaries. You never get bored because of the variety.
Lots of gore, but gore wasn't all about the game, which is the right way to create a bloody game.
And a good, infernal story!

[THRESHER_]

Originally Posted by Antichrist XVII

Oh my god, no. Seriously, all these ♥♥♥♥ing multiplayer focused games are killing the industry. Multiplayer focused means you get a multiplayer full of campers that will be dead in a month while the single player is ♥♥♥♥ or non-existent. Then new guns, maps, whatever is paid for later on.

Seeing pink hearts in your post makes me LOL. How do I use those?

Also, great input for the developers, A+ post.

Originally Posted by Sami69

Its important to have BOTH sp and mp to be good.

Couldn't agree more.

I think a strong coop mode, as suggested, is a must.

[Hi2u! Tw1TcH]

Originally Posted by MADDOGGE

Stick to what made the first game such a success. Don't ruin it by going down the causal road of a short asses game, small maps, streaming textures made for 256MB of memory, checkpoint only saves, single save slots, single profiles, and for God sake don't waste time and money gimping and defiling a game that's supposed to be SP for the sake of some pos MP that will be dead in no time.

While I understand your passion for single player games and applaud your interest in PC FPS games you are partly mistaken in what made PK such a success. A huge part of the success of PK was due to the "pos mp" which culminated in worldwide tournaments. It's popularity was helped on by the (at the time) success of Quake 3 and the competetive players who also took part in PKs growth.

PK was touted as "The" E-sports mp title at the time, in no way, shape, form, or otherwise context of thought was PK ever a single player game only. It would be an ignorant and derisive comment in regards to the communities which were built up around PK to occlude this element when discussing its popularity.

Also, just for the sake of argument, Trauma difficulty allows no quick saves, checkpoint only. This is because it is more difficult. Although I feel this is an exception to what you are saying and perhaps you would agree that the hardest difficulty should keep this "feature".

Bear in mind, I'm not saying that they have to build a new PK with a focus on MP. If anything I would wholeheartedly agree in that if that were the focus the game would simply fail miserably. And to my personal disdain I would say that they should focus on SP exclusively.

I am moreso just saying that to discount the role that MP played in the success of PK is completely ignorant.

[750]

Hire PCF and tell them to make Painkiller 2

Only the first Painkiller (& expansion) are good

[jiminator]

1) don't waste any time or money for competitive MP. Coop is fine, but in the competitive arena there are too many games with no players already
2) The core elements of the game are the best and they allow for extreme re-playability.
3) Trauma required to unlock all maps
4) challenges to get tarot on each level
5) challenges to collect all secrets, ammo, holy items (5-star challenge)
6) The ability to replay any level with current weapons/tarot cards

As an example, hard reset was recent released and I love that game. It has most of the same type elements that I loved about PK (not to mention the same devs)

The other example is necrovision. Some things worked in that game, some things did not. I loved collecting furies and the rage system and the ability to kill masses of enemies. Also by some of the original devs.

I liked some things about the last PK, other things not so much. The levels overall did not really have a theme that fit with the enemies. It was more serious sam like with just tons of enemies. It was still fun, but I would have loved to see more of a theme that tied it all together.

[mask1killer]

hello to all mask killer has returned( well i wouldn't be returning if it a new forum but i'm here)
What i would like is for the game to be DONE right- good PR and MK
bring back fun into games. don't have a game thats been worked on for years (rage DNF) and just plain bites. Hear what we say(you do want our money right)and don't be like JW/DC and leave us into dirt!!!

also thank you for letting us know- that a good start.

what i would like to see is most of our old forum come back.
Any one here from PKF ?

[Smertnik]

Concentrate the game around shooting tons of dudes. Don't spend too much time on elaborate stories, cutscenes or exposition (I'm looking at you, DNF). Every moment you aren't shooting dudes in this kind of games is a wasted moment.