What do you want to see in the next Sonic game?

[Nepenthe]

If you can't keep a series interesting with one character, adding more isn't a real solution.

Strawman. The series as a whole does not lack interest because Sonic's the only playable character. The specific feature of "Sonic being the only playable character" is uninteresting at this point in time, therefore people want more characters to change that specific attribute of the games.

[Multikaris]

Utterly agreed.

What do I want to see in the next Sonic game?

*More playable characters than just Sonic. Seriously, they've been doing this in nearly every game for the past five (going on six) years, and it's gotten old.

Especially Blaze

*The return of deeper, more story-driven plots. I don't know about anyone else, but in just about every modern Sonic game as of late (especially Colors and Generations), I've found the storylines to be incredibly underwhelming.

Hell yes.

[Diogenes]

Well, I'd say the real problem is that overcomplex stories rarely go well with Sonic, and we've seen various examples in the past.

Shitty stories don't go well with Sonic (or anything else, for that matter). No one's asking for Metal Gear Sonic, but we shouldn't be afraid of telling stories just because they've fucked them up in the past.

The specific feature of "Sonic being the only playable character" is uninteresting at this point in time

Why?

[Nepenthe]

Why?

Because a bigger cast inevitably has more to easily offer the franchise than simply a single protagonist on a gameplay and narrative front, and we know this with the classics alone. The better question though, is why have you been implying they're uninteresting?

[Diogenes]

Because a bigger cast inevitably has more to easily offer the franchise than simply a single protagonist on a gameplay and narrative front, and we know this with the classics alone.

Their contribution to the narrative is an entirely separate matter from being playable. And yes, having multiple characters does offer more in terms of gameplay, but, if you can't keep people's attention with the main character's gameplay, what is supposed to be the backbone of the series, you really need to examine why that is and work on fixing it, not try to bandaid it by adding more characters.

The better question though, is why have you been implying they're uninteresting?

I'm not implying that they're uninteresting (although they often are). I'm saying that the problem should be solved by quality, not quantity.

[Nepenthe]

Me wanting to play as Shadow sometime doesn't mean I'm completely disinterested in the current gameplay we have or the franchise as it is, thus I don't know why you keep conflating the two. By this token, any possible criticism anyone could have for a franchise indicates that franchise's severe inability to engage, which is silly. I'm still buying the games, and on the whole I'm enjoying them. Me wanting other characters now isn't indicative of some severe flaw with the basic game beyond "Hey, where's everyone else?"

Also, you should always assume that every problem someone has is borne from an interest to improve the franchise on a qualitative front. Why in the world would anyone who wants to play as their favorite character want them implemented badly or think that their inclusion has nothing positive to offer???

[WarioBone]

Only if they're shit at it.

[Multikaris]

And they are. They've proven it over and over.

So I'd rather have a Colors cheesefest than a Shadow the Hedgehog vomitworks.

[Nepenthe]

I'd personally rather something with the Storybook series' characterization with the Adventure games' plotting, because neither Colors nor ShtH alone are ideal. In fact, they're both bad, just for different reasons.

[WarioBone]

I'd personally rather something with the Storybook series' characterization with the Adventure games' plotting, because neither Colors nor ShtH alone are ideal. In fact, they're both bad, just for different reasons.

[Wraith]

Maybe outsource the wiritng for the next game.

Edited November 21, 2012 by Wraith U

[WarioBone]

Not a bad idea, but to who?

[Wraith]

ME

[Kuzu]

I'd rather we just keep the current writers we have, and Sega should stop grabbing them by the balls and restricting them so damn much. The characterization and humor is a hit or a miss(I personally liked it myself), but the character interaction is the best in the series bar none, and I'm interested in seeing what they can do with characters beyond Sonic, Tails, and Eggman.

Edited November 21, 2012 by Popo

[WarioBone]

I'd rather we just keep the current writers we have, and Sega should stop grabbing them by the balls and restricting them so damn much. The characterization and humor is a hit or a miss(I personally liked it myself), but the character interaction is the best in the series bar none, and I'm interested in seeing what they can do with characters beyond Sonic, Tails, and Eggman.

Was going to put something about how there was only interaction between those three characters, but by the time I clicked it, you had already edited it.

They're getting smarter...

[...]

FUCK no.

Nintendo as a whole on the other hand....

Yes?

How about these guys?

[Nepenthe]

I'm still just as fond of Warren and Ken's characterization too, but I don't think they're being grabbed by the balls so much as they're not being given anything to write about in the first place. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they're only responsible for the actual dialogue, and then there's "scenario planners" who are a kind of a middleman between the scriptwriters and the gameplay developers to make sure the story makes sense in context of the gameplay. It's these people, I think, who are getting screwed the most, because for whatever reason actual narrative is something Sonic Team is actively avoiding so they can't do much in the long run anyway.

[Kuzu]

Was going to put something about how there was only interaction between those three characters, but by the time I clicked it, you had already edited it.

They're getting smarter...

Foolsih maggot, Popo knows all.

[Wraith]

How about these guys?

Nooooooooo.

no

no no no.

Why would you pick that over potentially getting the guys that wrote this?

[Kuzu]

I'm still just as fond of Warren and Ken's characterization too, but I don't think they're being grabbed by the balls so much as they're not being given anything to write about in the first place. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they're only responsible for the actual dialogue, and then there's "scenario planners" who are a kind of a middleman between the scriptwriters and the gameplay developers to make sure the story makes sense in context of the gameplay. It's these people, I think, who are getting screwed the most, because for whatever reason actual narrative is something Sonic Team is actively avoiding so they can't do much in the long run anyway.

Colors and Generations both credit them as the dialogue and scenario writers....at least I think so, I haven't played either game in a long time. But yeah, I'm pretty sure this is something comissioned by Sega to "better" the series, after the fallout of Sonic 06, and how virtually everyone vehemently hated the narrative for that game, it prompted them to just say fuck all to any semblence of narrative.

[Diogenes]

Me wanting to play as Shadow sometime doesn't mean I'm completely disinterested in the current gameplay we have or the franchise as it is, thus I don't know why you keep conflating the two.

I'm not. I'm not even against having other playable characters. But when people are saying that playing as this character has become boring, I think the solution is to fix that character so they aren't boring, rather than trying to distract from it by adding other characters.

Also, you should always assume that every problem someone has is borne from an interest to improve the franchise on a qualitative front. Why in the world would anyone who wants to play as their favorite character want them implemented badly or think that their inclusion has nothing positive to offer???

Again, I'm not. I just think they're attacking the problem from the wrong direction,

[Wraith]

I'm not. I'm not even against having other playable characters. But when people are saying that playing as this character has become boring, I think the solution is to fix that character so they aren't boring, rather than trying to distract from it by adding other characters.

This so hard.

If Sonic is "boring", then they need to fix THAT. Why would Sonic but with different abilities be any better than Sonic?

[WarioBone]

I don't think Sonic is boring. I just like fucking playing as other characters.

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

FUCK no.

Nintendo as a whole on the other hand....

Yes?

You want me to put the guys who made the most vapid, plotless husk of a Zelda game in charge of Sonic?

I don't think so Tim.

Now, had you said Intelligent Systems, I woulda had your back.

Edited November 21, 2012 by Sixth-Rate Soma

[Nepenthe]

I'm not. I'm not even against having other playable characters. But when people are saying that playing as this character has become boring, I think the solution is to fix that character so they aren't boring, rather than trying to distract from it by adding other characters.

You're still assuming the problem is entirely gameplay-related when this isn't where the complaint stems from. If the gameplay spontaneously improved to the point that the games were getting perfect scores and tens of millions of copies were sold, but Sonic was still the only playable character, I wouldn't stop complaining. The act of playing as Sonic alone, regardless of how he plays, is less interesting than having a small cast to choose from. Also, people miss these characters in general. Again, to ask for them to return does not inherently say anything about the quality of the gameplay, but rather the inherent choice of only being relegated to Sonic.

Again, I'm not. I just think they're attacking the problem from the wrong direction,

Praytell, how else do you fix the problem of "I miss/would like to play as X Character" by only improving Sonic?