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Oni: Difference between revisions
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Upon Oni's release, many felt cheated because the game did not deliver on all of its promises (a [http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/01/1651219&tid=211 not uncommon issue] in game development). The most notable shortcoming was the absence of LAN multiplayer, which had been demoed at hands-on booths at Macworld Expos in mid-1999 and early 2000. In May of 2000, it was announced that multiplayer was being removed from the game due to concerns over latency issues. | Upon Oni's release, many felt cheated because the game did not deliver on all of its promises (a [http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/01/1651219&tid=211 not uncommon issue] in game development). The most notable shortcoming was the absence of LAN multiplayer, which had been demoed at hands-on booths at Macworld Expos in mid-1999 and early 2000. In May of 2000, it was announced that multiplayer was being removed from the game due to concerns over latency issues. | ||
Some previously-hyped features were missing, such as smart gunfire dodging and alarm behavior on the part of the AI. On the Oni Central Forum, Design Lead [[Credits|Hardy LeBel]] blamed this on Oni's original AI programmer, saying "She made a lot of boastful claims about what the AI would end up being able to do that she couldn't deliver on". Interestingly, some hidden AI abilities have been found in Oni's engine, either disabled, slightly buggy, or not utilized by the game's mission scripts. | Some previously-hyped features were missing, such as smart gunfire dodging and alarm behavior on the part of the AI. On the Oni Central Forum, Design Lead [[Credits|Hardy LeBel]] blamed this on Oni's original AI programmer, saying "She made a lot of boastful claims about what the AI would end up being able to do that she couldn't deliver on"<ref name=HL-cuts>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19661 OCF post by Hardy LeBel, "Re: More questions... (mainly for chef...)"].</ref>. Interestingly, some hidden AI abilities have been found in Oni's engine, either disabled, slightly buggy, or not utilized by the game's mission scripts. | ||
Some of the game's content was cut as well. This included at least one entire level ([[BGI|BGI HQ]]), and the highly anticipated [[Iron Demon]], the large mech shown in-game in the 1999 trailer. Gaps in the numbering of the [[GameDataFolder|game files]] led fans to believe that at least five chapters were cut before release, but, besides the BGI HQ level that was cut from the story, this was simply due to content that was moved around or consolidated into other levels. | Some of the game's content was cut as well. This included at least one entire level ([[BGI|BGI HQ]]), and the highly anticipated [[Iron Demon]], the large mech shown in-game in the 1999 trailer. Gaps in the numbering of the [[GameDataFolder|game files]] led fans to believe that at least five chapters were cut before release, but, besides the BGI HQ level that was cut from the story, this was simply due to content that was moved around or consolidated into other levels<ref name=HL-cuts />. | ||
Finally, Bungie did not hold to their usual practice of releasing level-building tools for their games, since a professional and costly [http:// | Finally, Bungie did not hold to their usual practice of releasing level-building tools for their games, since a professional and costly CAD program was used to produce Oni's levels<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=2321 OCF post by Matt Soell, "Re: general questions...."]</ref>. As Oni's release neared, it was pointed out by Matt Soell, Bungie's PR person, that since Bungie no longer owned the game, they were unable to release whatever supplementary tools had been developed. Early statements about releasing the file formats were probably also impossible to follow through on once ownership had transferred to Take Two. This factor, coupled with the lack of multiplayer, meant that Oni's full potential was not obvious. | ||
Thus, it was left to the fans to create their own modding tools, after investigating the inner workings of the game on their own. | Thus, it was left to the fans to create their own modding tools, after investigating the inner workings of the game on their own. | ||