First off, I don't intend for this to be "yet another thread complaining about gameplay issues," so I apologize if it comes across that way. I went several pages back on the forums and didn't feel like this exact issue fit in enough to bump another thread.
Also, I don't intend to whine and say, "You stole my $10 because now I can't play this game right!!!" The system requirements do clearly state the video card requirements, and so I don't really have an excuse. I should have looked at them before purchasing, and don't have much right to complain. Though in my defense the game itself is pretty darn amazing and so I really just wanted to jump into it, so I didn't think about my GeForce 8600GT being an issue.
And lastly, I agree wholeheartedly that the devs should focus on fixing more game killing bugs before working on optimization. A broken game for legit players is a more pressing issue than a sub-par performance from players with crappy hardware. I totally concede that.
Now, I'm sure the devs and most other people are aware of WHY people are upset over the game not working well on their laptops. Yes, the system requirements list mentions the need for a better GPU, but the fact is that a lot of us are lazy about checking system reqs for what can be viewed as a smaller, downloadable game. Honestly, I know better than to try to play Crysis on my laptop. I barely risked playing The Sims 3 and Civilization V on the thing (both, thankfully, work pretty well). But something like, say, Torchlight? It's a small, downloadable, not graphics heavy or anything... You just sort of expect it to work. And Torchlight does. Amnesia does. Most sub-$20 games on Steam do. Considering that sort of experience, Magicka isn't really the kind of game you look at and think to yourself, "Hmmm, I wonder if that will actually run on my computer?" You just kind of assume it does.
But that's not the point of the thread so much. The point is to say why Paradox and Arrowhead should focus on getting this game optimized once the bigger bugs are squashed:
Because Magicka would be a really kick-butt laptop game.
Especially considering the added fun that I'm sure multiplayer brings to the table. It's fantastic that online play is supported, but this is really the sort of game I would want to play with 3 friends in the same room - like Gauntlet or something. The best way to do that? Laptops. It could be a much better LAN party game if it ran on more systems.
It's also just a great sort of game to be able to take with you. When I'm traveling, I don't really want a game like Crysis. Heck, I don't typically even want something like The Witcher. I want something small that I can play in smaller chunks. Torchlight is one of my personal favorites for this task. Provided the devs make it so players can save and quit at checkpoints instead of just the start of levels, Magicka could easily be up there as a great game to play on the go.
I understand that the dev team is really small. I don't expect a Blizzard-esque determination to make the game run on as much hardware as possible and being as bug-free as possible. I'm realistic. However, I really do feel like this could be a perfect latop game, and the developers would be remiss if they just let that opportunity slip by.
New content is great. Squashing bugs is better. But I really hope Paradox and Arrowhead DO decide to optimize the game for at least some mobile GPUs. Not so much just so I can get my $10 worth quicker, but also because I feel like the game could reach a much wider audience (paying audience!) if they embrace the laptop-loving crowd.
Also, I don't intend to whine and say, "You stole my $10 because now I can't play this game right!!!" The system requirements do clearly state the video card requirements, and so I don't really have an excuse. I should have looked at them before purchasing, and don't have much right to complain. Though in my defense the game itself is pretty darn amazing and so I really just wanted to jump into it, so I didn't think about my GeForce 8600GT being an issue.
And lastly, I agree wholeheartedly that the devs should focus on fixing more game killing bugs before working on optimization. A broken game for legit players is a more pressing issue than a sub-par performance from players with crappy hardware. I totally concede that.
Now, I'm sure the devs and most other people are aware of WHY people are upset over the game not working well on their laptops. Yes, the system requirements list mentions the need for a better GPU, but the fact is that a lot of us are lazy about checking system reqs for what can be viewed as a smaller, downloadable game. Honestly, I know better than to try to play Crysis on my laptop. I barely risked playing The Sims 3 and Civilization V on the thing (both, thankfully, work pretty well). But something like, say, Torchlight? It's a small, downloadable, not graphics heavy or anything... You just sort of expect it to work. And Torchlight does. Amnesia does. Most sub-$20 games on Steam do. Considering that sort of experience, Magicka isn't really the kind of game you look at and think to yourself, "Hmmm, I wonder if that will actually run on my computer?" You just kind of assume it does.
But that's not the point of the thread so much. The point is to say why Paradox and Arrowhead should focus on getting this game optimized once the bigger bugs are squashed:
Because Magicka would be a really kick-butt laptop game.
Especially considering the added fun that I'm sure multiplayer brings to the table. It's fantastic that online play is supported, but this is really the sort of game I would want to play with 3 friends in the same room - like Gauntlet or something. The best way to do that? Laptops. It could be a much better LAN party game if it ran on more systems.
It's also just a great sort of game to be able to take with you. When I'm traveling, I don't really want a game like Crysis. Heck, I don't typically even want something like The Witcher. I want something small that I can play in smaller chunks. Torchlight is one of my personal favorites for this task. Provided the devs make it so players can save and quit at checkpoints instead of just the start of levels, Magicka could easily be up there as a great game to play on the go.
I understand that the dev team is really small. I don't expect a Blizzard-esque determination to make the game run on as much hardware as possible and being as bug-free as possible. I'm realistic. However, I really do feel like this could be a perfect latop game, and the developers would be remiss if they just let that opportunity slip by.
New content is great. Squashing bugs is better. But I really hope Paradox and Arrowhead DO decide to optimize the game for at least some mobile GPUs. Not so much just so I can get my $10 worth quicker, but also because I feel like the game could reach a much wider audience (paying audience!) if they embrace the laptop-loving crowd.
