A cool old-school feeling

I too have been gaming for numerous years, and also have noticed that new games are usually recycled ideas and generally crappy, buggy, and not very fun.  So, I too, will give congrats to Stardock for giving us something different, something which is not another clone.

just my 2c, but i think that i you seek innovation in video games, indie games are the way to go.

The mainstream video game industry doesn't like to take some risks. Sure you see a demigod or a portal from time to time, but most dev team prefer make sequels that adds next to nothing to the original game.

Whereas indie games have to be innovative if they want to sell. You should take a look at Overgrowth, Braid or World of Goo.

Although in very basic concept, it's not too different from DoTA. However, it's got several levels higher because of warscore and stuff like that.

That's why I'm here.  I'd never even heard of DotA until roughly a week after buying this game so if nothing else, it certainly 'felt' original to me.

Most of my notably entertaining game experiences in the last year have been with games in the $30-or-under bracket, usually found as a deal on Steam and whatnot.  I got a 'lot' more play out of Mount and Blade, for example, than Dawn of War II and Unreal Tournament 3 combined.

Supreme Commander is still the best RTS ever in my opinion cuz of strategic zoom and the fact that stuff can miss   . It doesn't feel anything like command and conquer or age of empires.

*trying to think of some game that I would call completely original*

Oh yeah, I liked Indigo Prophecies. I would only rent it though since it doesn't really have replay value.

And if you people haven't yet, yal should play through A Bards Tale. It's hilarious, especially if your the type who's sick of recycled RPG ideas.

This.

Now that brings back some memories if I'm thinking of what you're thinking. Might fit along the lines of Space Quest, King's Quest, Liesure Suit Larry, and crew?

The latest games are usually evolving from tried and true templates. It's only once in a while that a revolution occurs that spawns something truly original. No fault of the game designers, it's pretty damn hard to come up with anything new, and impossible to not recycle anything. If any game developer wishes to remain in business, that's just the way it is.

Fred_Bonaparte is right. Indie game developers are the ones who can still experiment with new ideas. Most large game developers have to streamline their game development process to maintain their productivity. Any committed research would have to yield some form of financial return in the long run, otherwise a lot of money can be "wasted".

The larger the company is, the higher the operation cost. They can either decide to try doing something new and risk facing a loss or stick to the old roots and churn out numerous similar products to stand a higher chance of remaining in profit. That's why many franchises are developed (Game 1, Game 1: Expansion, Game 2, etc). Each new installation of the same title has the benefit of drawing from an already present fanbase, increasing the chances of the next commercial success and at the same time, reducing the production overhead of doing another thing from scratch. It's a win-win situation.

Ah... the adventures of Skara Brae.

"Thou Art in the Guild of Adventurers"

I demand a nostalgia gaming thread. Begin.

WIN!