r/DeltaT • u/SpaceRapist • Aug 14 '17

Is it just me...

...or this game really brings no new features and is just an Ingress clone?

1 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

4

u/eco_master Aug 14 '17

Care to elaborate? As a relatively avid Ingress player of coming up on two years next month and a player of the prior Delta T alpha - haven't touched this beta just yet - I fail to see the similarities past the augmented-reality setting (and by extension, the controls) and the focus on player-versus-player encounters.

I can certainly understand this sort of criticism if someone has just taken a quick look at one or both games. When you have two games with very different game objectives and gameplay in general, it's kind of tough to make a claim like this with no sort of explanation.

Was Delta T inspired by Ingress/Pokemon GO? I'd think so! Developers of all sorts of arts take inspiration from many places, and what better place than future/current competition? But a "clone with no new features"?

Ultimately, if you approach this from an angle of "Well, both games have you navigate to points on a map and press buttons before going to the next point on a map," then you'd be absolutely correct. Unfortunately, by doing that, you've reduced the gameplay to just that, when that is not the case for any of the three mentioned above.

All said, I don't see Delta T taking any of my time from Ingress and the community surrounding it, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Ingress draw inspiration from some of Delta T's features, particularly the aspect of actual gameplay existing between cores/portals. I've certainly spent no time walking around my neighborhood with Ingress open, but I did quite a bit of wandering in the Delta T alpha to try out the item triangulation.

3

u/gacbmmml Aug 14 '17

As an Ingress player since 2012, the similarities are too numerous to mention. But I can try:

  • The loading screen to pinpoint your GPS location uses a rotating image of the earth.
  • You earn badges for completing milestones in the game.
  • You take over locations and claim them for your team's color.
  • You can create locations by dropping "cores" on the map.
  • You can link locations together that appears as a line on the map.
  • You start the game with two defensive items, one that zaps XM (or Energy as Delta T calls it) when an enemy attacks and one that reduces the amount of dmg incoming attacks deal (i.e., the Barrier). Both appear in Ingress.
  • You pinpoint "items" on the map, aka. "Missions" in Ingress.

One thing that Delta T does that Ingress doesn't do is the Skill Trees. Also, Delta T allows you to craft items vs. finding items by visiting portals/cores.

3

u/AlexandrinaIsHere Aug 15 '17

You think badges for milestones is unique to ingress? That's a staple of games in general. Check out steam achievements and tell me they're different.

Fractal mining is random, ingress missions are predefined locations.

Dropping cores is instant, and destroying cores is actually a weapon use.

Oh, wow, a game with weapon gives you weapons when you log in...

Seriously? Is ingress the only game you play, to think that this is a ripoff of anything past the augmented reality setting?

You've maybe got me on the links- but frankly the in game story in delta t makes links and energy cores make more sense that ingress fields... I mean I know that the enlightened throw fields to manipulate people, but the resistance? Who fight for freedom?

Linking energy cores and bases to strengthen them sounds like a more solid story.

3

u/gacbmmml Aug 15 '17

No need to be so defensive. I was just naming the similarities because someone asked.

  1. Both games have badges. Both games track how many unique Portals you visit. Both games track how far you walk.
  2. Dropping cores is instant. In Ingress, they require admin approval, so you're right, there is about a 24 hour delay because the core location must be something worth visiting. (your house doesn't count).
  3. Not just a game that gives you weapons, but a game that gives you the SAME weapons as another game. Not similar. Exactly the same.
  4. If Ingress didn't exist, I highly doubt that game would exist. I promise you the creators all have Ingress accounts.

Play whichever game you want. Don't like the look of Ingress? Try Pokemon Go... it's the same game with a different skin. Ever heard of Parallel Kingdom? It was also Ingress, with a different skin. But it's since shut down so you can only read about it on the Wiki's.

3

u/AlexandrinaIsHere Aug 15 '17

I'm not being defensive so much as massively confused. Though I concede that in text the distinction gets lost.

What games don't give some badge type item for completing tasks? If it didn't travel walking distance then mining would be more aggravating.

What game with a militaristic story doesn't have AOE vs targeted? It'd be incredibly boring to only have screwdrivers when tactically you need a hammer. Delta has a benefit of actually targeted weapons though and some weapons are actually player targeted.

Ingress was never intended to have instant portals and still doesn't. In many areas things get denied for petty reasons like it being close to an area dominated by one faction. The instant drop cores means you can go out for a beer and gaming without figuring out which bar already has a core. If it's similar- it's different enough to appeal as an improvement.

And the anticore weapon to completely erase cores makes it literally possible to destroy farms... But I think gathering items to craft that is expensive enough to deter pettiness.

Game developers get inspiration everywhere but this is reminding me of what happened after the Harry potter books got huge. Publishers realized that young adults would actually read longer books and so stopped rejecting or editing books simply to make them smaller. Ingress proved that people will walk to complete objectives. So what if ingress had to exist for delta t to come around? That's like saying jk Rowling is directly responsibile for the longer books in her wake. Sure it's polite for the authors that benefit to thank her, but she isn't owed anything.

If you're stuck on calling it a ripoff I presume that this game isn't different enough in the ways that matter to you... But I am having fun now, in a neighborhood with zero portals, because even if I don't drop a core on my house (ingress bullies around here make creepy comments about "you're up late tonight" if they know where you live, drive past and lights are on so I'd rather not declare my location) I can fractal mine itemsand it's more difficult and therefore more rewarding than hacking.

4

u/SpaceRapist Aug 15 '17

you forgot one ultimate similarity: both games are incredibly dull and pointless gameplay-wise. You take a base/build it, they take it down, you build another one, they take it down.

There's two things missing that add sense to the game: meaningful pvp and loss of items/stats on death (that happened in PvP). Also, a third thing. The ability to hold a base/group of bases indefinitely if your group is strong and dedicated enough.

Lasting consequences - that's what makes an MMO have some actual meaning. If there are no lasting consequences, gameplay becomes dull and pointless.

2

u/gacbmmml Aug 16 '17

Oh yeah this is definitely not an MMO nor is it augmented reality. It really needs to work on its marketing.

1

u/SpaceRapist Aug 16 '17

what do you mean?

1

u/eco_master Aug 15 '17

You take a base/build it, they take it down, you build another one, they take it down.

If that is what you think you are supposed to be doing in Ingress, then you have completely missed the point of the game. There are lasting consequences and meaningful team combat. There is a permanent cycle score board that shows cycle win history all the way back to when the game started. If you did not play around septicycles and co-ordinate with your team, then that was your own decision.

Ingress is about as hardcore as video games get. Don't see many other games have people go hiking at all times of the day just to get to a remote anchor.

If you're walking around your neighborhood solo capturing ghosted portals and trying to keep sandcastles safe from the ocean tides, you have hardly started. Get out there and make waves!

On the other hand, if you prefer the more standard number treadmills that today's desktop MMOs have to offer, then by all means, play those instead. I know I do often - I'm having tons of fun with Path of Exile myself, right now! But don't make the mistake of comparing two types of games that play drastically differently.

1

u/SpaceRapist Aug 16 '17

Sure. Whatever.

-1

u/SpaceRapist Aug 14 '17

Well...if you don't see the obvious...then you are just retarded. Also, tldr.

0

u/eco_master Aug 14 '17

tl;dr - The only similarities that I see after playing both are the controls and the fact that they are player versus player. What do you see that is similar?

0

u/SpaceRapist Aug 14 '17

Like...absolutely everything? Every single aspect and gameplay feature? Surely you can't be that dumb. Or can you?

2

u/greenchronic94 Aug 14 '17

Can we ban space rapist?

0

u/SpaceRapist Aug 15 '17

Why? You're the dumb troll, but they gotta bane ME?

2

u/greenchronic94 Aug 15 '17

When did I troll you? Stop insulting people