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[Akima]

While we're straying a bit from EA: Opinions on Jade Empire, Akima? I picked it up on some Steam sale but haven't played it yet.

I'm sorry Valdis, but I missed your question in the EA thread, and since it's a bit off-topic in there, I'm creating this thread rather than necro the old one from 2005.

I like Jade Empire a lot. I played the Mac version, which is the PC version "bottled" using Cider (like Wine for Apple, get it?). I had to solve a couple of technical graphics issues that I will cover in another posting if anyone is interested, but otherwise the game ran very nicely on my iMac with no performance issues at all. BTW, the gay kiss revealing patch I referred to in the other thread will only work on the PC/Mac version, I believe.

Jade Empire is very pretty to look at, and listen to. The environment is beautifully-rendered (not forgetting that the game came out in 2005 for XBox and 2007 for PC) and the nature-sounds draw you in. After I'd been playing for half an hour, I was ready to move to Two Rivers, the village seemed so idyllic! The "fantasy China" background is a little bit stereotyped, and lets a bit of Japanese influence bleed in, but the cultural mish-mash is no worse than you see in Western-fantasy RPGs. Overall the cultural treatment is pretty respectful, and I had no problems with it. It was certainly very refreshing to play a game in which my avatar actually looked something like me...

I enjoyed the characters, and I think the story is good. I don't play a lot of computer games, so I might not be the best judge of the game-play. I liked the real-time, "fighting game"-style combat, which felt much more tense and involving than the turn-based combat of other RPGs I've played. I liked the simple inventory system, because I often find the micro-management of equipped items, potions etc. required by some RPGs irritating and obstructive. Some of the fighting-styles you learn are game-breaking, but you do not have to use them. The difficulty of the fights is a bit all-over-the-place, in that some of the lower-level battles are much harder to win than the final boss-battle. One in particular is very tough on normal difficulty, a bitch on hard, and don't get me started on the super-hard Jade Master setting.

Overall, I thoroughly recommend Jade Empire. I wish Bioware had done more games in the same world.

[Blue Kitty]

I loved Jade Empire, I wanted to play as every character and get every ending and I never got bored. The underworld part was kind of BS though, what with the soul stealing boogeymen. I'm sad they haven't made a sequel.

[RedWolf4]

Mmm, yes, I remember playing this as a kid (Goddammit I AM aging) and it was some of the best fun I'd had with a game on the original xbox. The graphics were neat, the story was good, and it didn't overwhelm you with stats and fetch quest and crap. Overall quite nifty for my first bioware game.

Not to mention the drunken master guy was flipping hilarious sometimes.

[Akima]

I know it's an old game, but Valdis hasn't played it yet, so let's not spoiler, or at least use spoiler tags.

[Blue Kitty]

Sorry, I was trying to be vague about that portion

[TheEvilDog]

I loved Jade Empire, I wanted to play as every character and get every ending and I never got bored. The underworld part was kind of BS though, what with the soul stealing boogeymen. I'm sad they haven't made a sequel.

Sadly, although Jade Empire is fondly remembered as being an excellent game by the critcs and does have a pretty decent fanbase, it wasn't a major commercial success like Mass Effect. And while Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk said they'd like to expand the IP; they both retired in 2012, so it looks like Jade Empire is going to be a one-off. Which is somewhat disappointing.

[GarandMarine]

I enjoyed the hell out of this game, I played KOTOR before I played this so it's interesting to see how Bioware progressed, the story, setting and characters were top hole and it's a real pity that the IP didn't go any where. I say this as an unapologetic Chinese kung-fu movie fan though, so there's no way in hell I'm NOT biased.

[Blue Kitty]

you could punch people AND THEY WOULD EXPLODE!

[RedWolf4]

Oh yeah. Must be where Fallout got it from.

[ackblom12]

Nah, Fallout had exploding punches even in the first game. It was actually one of my favorite builds just so I could punch someone so hard their chest explodes.

[Akima]

I confess that I preferred the heads-flying-off-bloody swordplay in Jade Empire to the wiffle-bat lightsabers in KotOR...

[Valdís]

I like Jade Empire a lot.

Jade Empire is very pretty to look at, and listen to. The environment is beautifully-rendered and the nature-sounds draw you in. After I'd been playing for half an hour, I was ready to move to Two Rivers, the village seemed so idyllic!

I enjoyed the characters, and I think the story is good. I don't play a lot of computer games, so I might not be the best judge of the game-play. I liked the real-time, "fighting game"-style combat, which felt much more tense and involving than the turn-based combat of other RPGs I've played. I liked the simple inventory system, because I often find the micro-management of equipped items, potions etc. required by some RPGs irritating and obstructive.

Overall, I thoroughly recommend Jade Empire. I wish Bioware had done more games in the same world.

Well, that was certainly quite the ringing endorsement.

The difficulty of the fights is a bit all-over-the-place, in that some of the lower-level battles are much harder to win than the final boss-battle. One in particular is very tough on normal difficulty, a bitch on hard, and don't get me started on the super-hard Jade Master setting

Heh, okay. I guess I tend to be pretty weak with stuff like that. I often play at difficulties lower than what I could handle just so it doesn't trouble me in playing a story...which is probably a bad habit for the times when it would be immersive to feel parts are quite difficult.

The "fantasy China" background is a little bit stereotyped, and lets a bit of Japanese influence bleed in, but the cultural mish-mash is no worse than you see in Western-fantasy RPGs. Overall the cultural treatment is pretty respectful, and I had no problems with it. It was certainly very refreshing to play a game in which my avatar actually looked something like me...

That's alright, then. Especially since it's a fantasy influenced by it rather than a story actually set in the Warring States era or such.

I played the Mac version, which is the PC version "bottled" using Cider (like Wine for Apple, get it?).

Yes, clearly Wine is made by smashing windows!

[Valdís]

"I don't think of you like other women. I respect you.."

OH SKY, YOU KNOW JUST HOW TO WOO ME!

Playing Jade Empire now. "Tianhou Lin": Level 12, Open Palm, Focused on Mind (Hurr durf).

[Akima]

So... You're a fast woman, Valdis? 

And yeah, Bioware romances...

[snalin]

To be fair, they've gotten better. Also, I think the horror that was the old romances came more from a point of inexperience and awkwardness than any malice. It's pretty much all Nice Guy fantasies.

Still... "You've listened to all of my problems! How nice! Now I want to sleep with you!"

[Valdís]

So... You're a fast woman, Valdis? 

Well, I'm pretty clumsy, but seems like 天后林 is for sure with the way she bounces around from target to target. Sword-style, too, so attacking several at once.

Don't have to be very agile to be Lady of the Slain. They don't move much.

[Akima]

If you're writing the name in Chinese, it should be 林天后. The surname always comes first. 

Longsword was my favourite weapon. You have to love whirling through the mooks in true wuxia style; heads flying off left and right in fountains of blood. After my first play-through, I modded the game so that my sword looked like a proper jian throughout, instead of switching to the (IMHO) rather oversized and cartoony visual models used for the more advanced longsword weapon styles.

[Valdís]

Ah, even if it's a title? Y'know, how in-game they have characters like "Sagacious Zu" and "Radiant Jen Zi". Took the name from elements of the Goddess Mazu. The Heavenly-Empress Lin.

[GarandMarine]

The cartoony weapons after a certain point were one of my few complaints about Jade Empire.

[Akima]

Ah, even if it's a title?

Titles normally come after the name in Chinese. For example Mr. Wang (王）is 王先生 (Wang Mr.), and if he were your teacher you would address him as 王老师 (Wang teacher). 孔夫子 (Kǒngfūzǐ or Confucius) means Master Kong, but is written Kong Master. The names and titles of the historical Princess Taiping and Princess Changle are written 太平公主 (Tàipíng Gōngzhǔ), and 长乐公主 (Chánglè Gōngzhǔ) respectively. The English "Princess Dianna" is written 戴安娜王妃 (Dài'ānnà Wángfēi (it's a different word for Western princess)). Even the Bodhisattva Guanyin (sometimes in English called the Goddess Of Mercy) is written 观音菩萨 (Guānyīn Púsà or Guanyin Bodhisattva).

But the Jade Empire is not China, exactly, so you're fine. 

[Valdís]

Okey-dokey! I would say "Ah, so it's like Japanese honorifics.", just from my frame of reference, but I don't wanna risk getting cut!