Forum - View topicSword Art Online (TV).
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Ringking
Posts: 338 |
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Seems like it shouldn't be to long until they get to the point were they can start telling the story as it's told in the first volume of the novel, since they've more or less introduced all the members of Kirito's harem (not really, but he does have an awfully high concentration of women with a crush on him, which is the theme of the majority of the side stories) that they can without relying on details from the story proper.
As for this episode, probably the effect of having finished this particular chapter of the novel only last night (After episode three I just decided to read ahead) but there's still alot of evidence of rushing in these sidestory episodes, and I got the impression that many points which were delved into in more depth in the novel were glossed over a little fast, and I think this episode could definitely have benefited from being stretched over two. Its not to critical to get these perfect since Silica dosent appear in the main story, and alot of the details ommited are fairly minor. I would have liked them to make at least some pass at explaining how the SAO detail system works though, as well as maybe a little on the familiar system to. I get that its kind of hard to pull that off in a purely visual medium like this without it sounding like they are directly lecturing the viewer, and does to some extent pull away from both the story being told and the source material, but having read the novel I felt like being informed of the ways in which SAO differed from reality and how it functioned was an important part in building the overall 'feel' of the world. |
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Seed92
 Posts: 20 |
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EP4
spoiler[this ep outlined the difference between the lead group players and the ones at the back, level gap too big, realistic for a game, cant fight a level 70++ with a lv 50 char, unless that lv 70 guy is a noob, which is not the case since they're lower than him despite spending the same amount of hours in the game] |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18222 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Episode 4 was definitely much better-paced than episode 3 and a more satisfying episode overall, although I've seen complaints on other sites that the girl wasn't "moe" enough. Still, I'm eagerly awaiting them getting back to the main story.
And why are the Next Episode previews not included with the episodes? It's rather irksome having to track them down separately. And Ringking: Novel adaptations often suffer that fate, especially where lots of technical information is involved. There are exceptions; the Spice and Wolf anime recreates its source novels almost word-for-word in many places, but even it has to trim some background detail that just couldn't be naturally slipped in. Crest of the Stars is even moreso that way: faithful, but it has to trim a lot of extra details. (And that's an anime franchise noted for being long-winded about explaining itself as it is.) As much as I might complain about things sometimes being inadequately explained, I'd rather an adaptation sacrifice additional flavor and detail for a good, smooth flow than the other way around. |
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Veers
 Posts: 1197 Location: Texas |
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So, a few observations from episode 4:
SAO author confirmed to be an oldschool FFXI Dragoon player. I laughed so hard at that scene even though I shouldn't have. :\ Raid boss Kirito's HP regen is too high, your DPS sucks lololol l2p oranges. Best part of the episode. 10,000 copies sold and somehow people with no MMO experience/history managed to hold of so many of those copies? Strange.
 Silica is definitely the cutest thing yet in SAO and her spunk was very refreshing. Not that I felt her portrayal was overly offensive (because when it's numbers v numbers it's less about "protecting something perceived as weak" and more about "MMO mechanics common sense"), but it would have been nice to see her kinda get out from under Kirito's wing a bit more. However, I guess the point wasn't her development as much as his (haven't read the books but I'm assuming that Silica's gonna be another spoiler[one-off character we won't see again often, if ever]) and the setting's, so I guess it's not a big deal.
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Megiddo
 Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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We do know the client. It was that one surviving guild-member who pleaded to everyone in the front-line group to avenge his guild member's deaths.
PKers are always the most competitive players of MMOs. They are always at or near the top in terms of levels, gear, etc. I'm really starting to doubt if the author of SAO has ever played an MMO. Hell, even if he just had researched a bit of Lineage and/or other PvP MMOs then this episode could have been much better. That said, can't make it seem like Kirito has a weakness. That would ruin the Gary Stu effect, so I can understand why the author did it this way. |
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Veers
Posts: 1197 Location: Texas |
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Oh, derp, you're right. That flashback slipped my mind.
Edit:
Well, this game doesn't really lend itself to PvP and presumably wasn't even designed with PvP as a focus (clearing dungeon floors is a co-operative PvE game design) so trying to compare to games like Lineage or TERA or other games where PvP mechanics are key features is a bit of a stretch IMO. Also, there are different ways to be competitive. I've played MMOs for over 10 years and have seen different kinds of games and in-game communities. Back when I played WoW, my guild for a couple years was a competitive PvE guild that lead our server for content clears and progression. We didn't PvP much because to most of us, the competition against the rest of the server (and our own track records) to clear PvE content was what we had fun with. The fact that our good gear made us pretty unstoppable in PvP against most people whenever we felt like a change of pace from PvE was just icing on the cake. In SAO, those same kind of people are the lead group who we don't see much of (any, besides Kirito, really), but they're also often very competitive, just in a different way. In SAO things are also a bit different because that's supposedly the only way out of the game... making SAO!PvE leaders' motivations a little different and SAO!PKers like we see here more like bottom feeders than actual competitive and skilled MMO players--if they were truly competitive they'd not be mid-tier bullies we see in episode four. I'm just speculating here, but any truly competitive PvPers in SAO at this point have probably already been killed or have changed their mind (considering the stakes) and are aiding the PvE effort. That said, you do raise an interesting question. I wonder what the author's MMO play history looks like. |
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Megiddo
Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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WoW is not a PvP MMORPG. It is PvE. If the PvP system is structured around an entirely separate instanced 'arena' then it is not a PvP game. Sword Art Online is much closer to Lineage (and the TERA PvP servers) wherein as long as you aren't in a safe town then anybody can attack you and will then be marked a 'red/orange player'.
The problem is there is no way that these players would still be alive a year later if they were just mid-tier PKers. Only the best of the best survive. ESPECIALLY when you are a marked target by having a orange/red name. As long as you have played a PvP MMO then you know this to be true and that SAO merely did not properly research and/or changed the PKers levels so that Kirito could appear as the unstoppable Gary Stu force that he is. But yeah, realistically, any PKers that are not the top of the top would have died ages ago. They would not have lasted the months/years that it has been so far. |
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Veers
Posts: 1197 Location: Texas |
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Well, WoW has non-instanced PvP in that same way as far as factions go, but yes I know that's not quite the same as the FFA structure of some games where anyone's fair game for whatever reason comes to mind. |
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Skullface
 Posts: 86 |
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Wrong spoiler[ orange and red players will be attacked at main cities by guards so in order for them to survive they will usually hide in the side towns(where not many people go to) or other places that no one goes to(because the floors are huge and some areas aren't explored fully) that's why they are still alive ] Ep 4 also showed there are spoiler[people that stay green to lure people(as well as get the pvpers food/potions with money they get most likely). ] spoiler[Due to them being marked it would make it harder for them to lvl at a consistent rate because they would be targeted if they go to good lvling spots aka why at least the ones in ep 4 are in the middle floors] |
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Rhyono
Posts: 1039 |
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In some games, there are plenty of PKers that fall into the group of "sucks too much at everything else; attempts to be a PKer." Especially in groups: good PKers don't need a group to take on one person. Those guys were just the lowest scum of PKers and their pathetic levels are proof enough. |
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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That red haired girl seriously pissed me off. How much of a pathetic coward can anyone be to deceive oneself so much into making an excuse that people aren't dying in real life if they get to 0 HP in the game? Sure it's a possibility and it was a deranged lunatic that told them that, but in a most likely life-or-death situation like that some people are just bound to turn stupid. What's worse, I bet if in the real world she had the ability to kill someone in order to protect herself, she'd just panic into a quivering lump of goo.
Need I mention btw I am loving this show too? I just had to get that rant off my shoulders, but it's the reason why this show is so engaging, it makes me really angry at all the villains and really happy with all the heroes. |
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Seed92
Posts: 20 |
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EP 4 spoilers and hypothesis
spoiler[i have played lots of mmos but i feel that some of you guys are comparing sao too closely to the mmos that actually exist. firstly, pkers are top tier gamers with top tier equips and levels in our current mmos, why? They spend more time playing the game compared to others, they have level advantages, equipment advantages. SAO is in a different light where everyone in the game at this point of time, has equal play time, agreed? Thus, those at the front lines, who are the top leveled and geared people would not want to go around pking at lower level spots, wasting abit of time would push you back and out of the front lines. Like kirito said in the earlier episodes, the first few gets uncontested hunting spots with good $ , exp, gear. Being in the front lines, should u leave for some happy pking time and owning noobs time would mean that those that were a few steps behind you in level/equip would overtake you. The reason why these orange/red players are so far back in terms of level and gear would be non other than (they waste their fking time doing dumb things like pk, steal, or commit crimes ) Kirito didn't come down to the lower levels to have a happy time hunting people, he was probably moved by the leader of the silver flags and came hunting titan's hand down. Of course some of you guys might say that, if the top tier guys hunt these red/orange players, item/prizes might be dropped for them, those prizes or the orange/red player's gear itself are practically useless compared to the drops they have at the frontlines, you guys've seen the difference in base strenght when they tried to kill kirito, big level/gear gap, not surprising as for why green players at the same level/gears as the titan's hand people dont hunt them would probably be because 1: they dun wanna kill them 2: they probably wont risk their lives, you're at the same level, thats no 100% win rate 3: these orange player moves in groups 4: they have good utility skills like hiding/listening ] |
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Seed92
Posts: 20 |
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i've played many mmos in my life , which "ALL" of them made me irl cash, or better known as RMT. read the spoiler post above bro, properly explained on why top tier players dun waste their time with noobs unless we have nothing left to upgrade or nowhere else to move forward, the guys are still around floor 50, lol, theres a 100 floors getting to the frontlines requires smart thinking and speed, but staying there requires constant leveling/farming ,of course, some pump cash into mmos to get an advantage / keep advantages, of course, the ones with the most efficient method of farming/leveling will always be ahead, especially the "Glitchers" unfortunately, this game has no PUMP cash, has no glitches so.....[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Fill in the Blanks! |
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Spotlesseden
Posts: 3514 Location: earth |
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this. and most MMOs don't really have pk and steal items. they have pvp, that's about it. SAO is different because most people don't want to risk their life to level up fast. IF you stay in the first town and never leave, you will be safe. SAO looks easy anyway. If they play other MMO like FFXI where some area/bosses have level limit, they would all die by now. No more over level to clear an area. This will probably not show in the anime. read it at your own risk. spoiler[They do have high lvl PKers in SOA. There is Front line/lead group vs the high level Red(pk) guild side story. The red guild almost won and wipe out the lead group. Also, you can't kill other players in town. You can only pk in neutral area.] |
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Megiddo
Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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Can we get the spoiler animated instead? Because that sounds 1000% more interesting than whatever we have gotten thus far.
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