Is no one else bothered by the terrible writing?

[Chris]

Maybe it gets better past Episode 1, but I really can't get into it.

[Obdilord]

What part of it is terrible?

[Omoikane]

Go complain on the ps forums since you don't own it here.

[Chris]

Originally posted by BloodRush:

What part of it is terrible?

Maybe terrible is too strong a word. The dialogue just isn't written realistically given the context.

No one treats "The World" like a video game and its players rarely acknowledge that aspect outside of Tri-Edge's coma ability. Sure, VRMMORPGs might be more conductive to role-playing, but the dialogue never reveals an explaination like that. The only time their emotional extremes are given any legitimate weight is when players are put into a coma in real life by Tri-Edge.

It also gets a bit overbearing when a player like Ovan is consistently cryptic and self-important when in reality, someone like that would often be called out OOC for this behavior.

If this were written as a fantasy anime, I don't think I'd mind the dialogue. But as it stands, the writing can get a bit cringey and I've seen it executed better. – While this is not quite the same, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash gives its characters believable reasons to act the way they do.

Originally posted by Omoikane:

Go complain on the ps forums since you don't own it here.

I recently refunded it, but it's in my recently played games list on Steam.

[Omoikane]

Originally posted by Glitch:

Originally posted by BloodRush:

What part of it is terrible?

Maybe terrible is too strong a word. The dialogue just isn't written realistically given the context.

No one treats "The World" like a video game and its players rarely acknowledge that aspect outside of Tri-Edge's coma ability. Sure, VRMMORPGs might be more conductive to role-playing, but the dialogue never reveals an explaination like that. The only time their emotional extremes are given any legitimate weight is when players are put into a coma in real life by Tri-Edge.

It also gets a bit overbearing when a player like Ovan is consistently cryptic and self-important when in reality, someone like that would often be called out OOC for this behavior.

If this were written as a fantasy anime, I don't think I'd mind the dialogue.

Originally posted by Omoikane:

Go complain on the ps forums since you don't own it here.

I recently refunded it, but it's in my recently played games list on Steam.

Sorry, reflex from dealing with trolls.

While i can agree somewhat, most of the game's fans are .hack literate. Meaning we've been with the franchise awhile. So, in a sort explanation as to why behind the RP of never treating it as a game, The World, and many other vrmmorpgs exist as a way to get away from RL. Think Sword Art Online, if you've seen that anime. So, to the players in The World, when they are playing they treat it as equal to RL.
It is not unlike many mmorpg players I've met over the last 1.5 decades. They can sometimes give more credence to the game world than RL because their real life is crap, stressful, boring, etc.
And yes, Ovan is pretentious as hell.
Since you refunded, if you are looking for a well written and large world rpg, I recommend the Legend of Heroes series.

NNM

[Chris]

I do wish the first episode had a few OOC moments to break the drama at some points. The overly serious nature kinda threw me off. But I do understand the appeal, especially if role-playing is something the viewer participates in. I'll check it out, thanks!

[Dzaka]

Originally posted by Glitch:

Originally posted by BloodRush:

What part of it is terrible?

Maybe terrible is too strong a word. The dialogue just isn't written realistically given the context.

No one treats "The World" like a video game and its players rarely acknowledge that aspect outside of Tri-Edge's coma ability. Sure, VRMMORPGs might be more conductive to role-playing, but the dialogue never reveals an explaination like that. The only time their emotional extremes are given any legitimate weight is when players are put into a coma in real life by Tri-Edge.

It also gets a bit overbearing when a player like Ovan is consistently cryptic and self-important when in reality, someone like that would often be called out OOC for this behavior.

If this were written as a fantasy anime, I don't think I'd mind the dialogue. But as it stands, the writing can get a bit cringey and I've seen it executed better. – While this is not quite the same, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash gives its characters believable reasons to act the way they do.

Originally posted by Omoikane:

Go complain on the ps forums since you don't own it here.

I recently refunded it, but it's in my recently played games list on Steam.

ovan is like that because he has a history with the insanity that is part of the world's quirks. and he knows that haseo has the power to fix everything. but haseo need's to become strong enough so he can't just come out and explain what is going on. else haseo and co would just go try to stop it and get wasted

as for if it was in an anime context.. well... think of it as being so since this is the continuation of .hack//roots the anime that takes place between haseo being PK'd at the start of the game. and his being data drained and reset to level 1

[Obdilord]

Well the reason why the coma thing isn't taken seriously is because in the series sense it is only a rumor. "Tri-edge" to the majority of the players is nothing more than something made up. It's why everyone thinks Haseo is crazy.

As for Ovan. It would be difficult to point him out when so many players in the world do not behave normal. Just look at Gabi, and Yata. There are several people who have unique personalities.

For further context I highly suggest you watch .hack//roots.

[Mogsworth]

It's a PS2 game; writing in JRPGs of the time ranged from great to ho-hum. This series has a cool story, but make no mistake that the original .Hack anthology (.Hack vol 1: Infection, .Hack vol 2: Mutation, .Hack vol 3: Outbreak, .Hack vol 4: Quarentine) where the pinnacle of the game series. GU// is a sequel anthology that exists as a money grab, so the writing isnt nearly as good as the original games it rides the coattails of. That said, there IS some cool story stuff in these games, and the actual gameplay is no less fun than it is in the original games. From what I've seen, the fourth game in the GU// series is the best one by far.

[Dedlok]

Originally posted by BloodRush:

No one treats "The World" like a video game and its players rarely acknowledge that aspect outside of Tri-Edge's coma ability.

Yeah. No one treats it like a game.

Except for Silabus and Gaspard, who run a guild dedicated to helping new players of the game learn the ropes.

And Moon Tree, which is dedicated to trying to curb PKers attacking other players

And PKers attacking people for the fun of the hunt.

Or Atoli talking about how she loves playing the game to admire the graphics and views of the stages.

Or Piros III about how he loves admiring his work the work that the hard working graphic designers at CC Corp put into The World's areas and how he hates that Tri-Edge is defiling them with his sign.

And the people you talk randomly saying they have things to trade or ask you if they have something you need. Definitely don't talk about what they like about playing the game.

Nope. No one treats it like a game at all.

I agree that the writing is not the greatest and definitely has it flaws, but like Fragtaster said, it was a product of its time. The writing of RPGs of the time was definitely a hit or miss. Add to that the fact that this was only one part of a huge multi-media crossover thing where the story/universe was divided up between the games, the anime, the manga, and novels in various points of the story and side stuff. That certainly did not help things. It is no excuse for it, but that is basically a big factor. Not to mention some things are different in this compared to stuff they could do today because of limitations in games back then compared to now.

But that said, that is part of its charm and is definitely not for everyone. Especially to those more used to or grown to like the improvements made since then. I readily admit that my love of it and wanting to replay it now is wholly because of the nostalgia of me playing it on the PS2 when it came out and is colored by that and the expectations of that time. It was also a time before I got into PC gaming and before I played any actual MMOs myself.