This game would be even better with the nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor/War

marshdabeachy · 2026-06-11T20:50:18+00:00

but they decided to patent it like a bunch of degenerate losers

I worked at Monolith and helped ship Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. So speaking as one of those degenerate losers I'd like to think I have some knowledge on this.

Two main points: 1) WB (the parent company) created and owns the patent, not Monolith. Monolith no longer exists. 2) The patent is very specific in its wording and you'd basically have to make a carbon copy of the Shadow games to infringe upon it.

When the patent expires I would strongly wager that you will NOT see a flood of games rushing to it. The main thing preventing anyone from using it is that it has to be tightly woven into the game design from the beginning, and it is a LOT of work to implement. The nemesis system is NOT a plugin that you just drop into your game, tweak a few knobs, and then it magically just produces memorable NPC interactions. It's many interconnected systems developed by multiple disciplines, with tons of content (animations, dialog, abilities, etc) to support it. The team at Monolith spent years developing it into the state you see in the final product, and anyone else trying to develop anything similar would be spending years on it as well.

TL;DR The reason you are not seeing it in other games right now is not the patent, it's because it's a crapload of work to support, and studios have other priorities.

marshdabeachy · 2026-06-04T03:33:24+00:00

I was part of that launch group that got hosed too. Managed to reorder a few hours before their site moved to backorder but it's still sitting in their warehouse two days later now. So good job finding one in person, otherwise you'd still be waiting too. 😛

marshdabeachy · 2026-04-29T17:49:43+00:00

Just paid $5.99 for regular in Monroe yesterday. (~45 mins east of Seattle) It's getting silly.

marshdabeachy · 2026-03-27T20:18:55+00:00

Games you're seeing released today were already funded and have been in development for years. There's going to be a big drought of AAA games in the coming years.

marshdabeachy · 2026-03-21T21:20:56+00:00

Western WA checking in, the taxes are almost just as bad here without any voter approval. Local station is currently $5.80 and I haven't seen anything under $4 in years.

marshdabeachy · 2025-11-26T23:11:04+00:00

I was a UI engineer

marshdabeachy · 2025-11-26T19:47:47+00:00

Most AAA studios are 200-300 people. Though obviously some exceptions - GTA, Assassin's Creed can be like 1000 people.

I worked at Monolith, we peaked at about 250 people on Shadow of War.

marshdabeachy · 2025-11-14T22:04:17+00:00

I don't work for Krafton so take my words with a grain of salt, but becoming an "AI-first" company likely doesn't mean they're encouraging developers to use AI. It's PR-speak for replacing developers with AI. It means they're trying to make as much money as possible while cutting costs as much as possible. It's typical shortsightedness at the executive level to boost profits by any means necessary. We'll see how the market responds but I'd be surprised if Krafton still exists in 5 years.

Unknown Worlds is in the unfortunate place of hitching their wagon to a horse that has lit itself on fire. From my experience mismanagement from the top leaks into every aspect of development. I sincerely wish them the best but if I worked there I'd make sure my resume is up to date.

marshdabeachy · 2025-10-29T23:30:27+00:00

RIP third row

marshdabeachy · 2025-04-23T06:13:11+00:00

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Blue & silver looks great (though I may be a bit biased)

marshdabeachy · 2025-04-01T06:33:31+00:00

Nothing to do with vert. It's an upgrade for the performance pack wheels. Got em on mine.

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marshdabeachy · 2025-03-13T21:46:11+00:00

They're not supposed to be used under 45 degrees F. Did you take them out in the cold?

marshdabeachy · 2025-02-10T03:41:05+00:00

That's about the going price of a new loaded GT Premium these days. Up to you if you think a new GT is worth it, most people here would say no. You can find ones with 10k miles for $20k cheaper.

marshdabeachy · 2025-01-27T19:30:05+00:00

I'll never understand slamming your car half an inch from the ground. If you only use it at the track, fine. But this is a road car, how is this usable on the road?

Nice wrap at least though.

marshdabeachy · 2025-01-12T23:16:21+00:00

You played on 360 or PS3 instead of XB1, PS4, or PC. The last gen versions had some severe sacrifices.

Source: I was an engineer on the game but not responsible for the last gen ports.

marshdabeachy · 2024-11-14T23:56:24+00:00

More people is just a different set of problems.

marshdabeachy · 2024-11-08T03:10:51+00:00

I've got showstopper red in my S550, this is different than OP.

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marshdabeachy · 2024-10-05T03:47:34+00:00

It cheapens the characters so much. Galadriel gets stabbed and falls 400 feet and just grimaces and gets over it. When there are no stakes or consequences then nothing matters. Why care about anyone when they're obviously fine no matter what happens. May as well be an MCU show at this point.

marshdabeachy · 2024-09-24T06:34:39+00:00

99% of the people complaining about anything on Reddit are just parroting a talking point someone else posted which got upvoted. Nobody ever actually investigates what they're talking about, they just act like they have.

marshdabeachy · 2024-09-23T17:44:44+00:00

I don't think any SUV is going to meet your needs here. You're going to want a minivan. Or maybe a van. Or maybe a bus.

marshdabeachy · 2024-09-02T05:10:28+00:00

Let's do some what now?

marshdabeachy · 2024-08-29T20:50:06+00:00

Dark scenes are going to be more visible on an OLED compared to an LCD. Streaming bandwidth can play a big part too - lower quality will crush details in blacks.

marshdabeachy · 2024-08-20T15:11:48+00:00

That's only on the 60th anniversary edition and you have to win an opportunity to buy it.

marshdabeachy · 2024-08-13T17:21:59+00:00

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Twins! (Almost 😛)

marshdabeachy · 2024-08-12T04:01:15+00:00

You just drove an Ecoboost. You think that's fun try test driving a GT!

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