Alien vs. Predator (Atari Jaguar) - Super Thread

Started by OpenMaw, Jun 03, 2018, 07:43:53 AM

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Alien vs. Predator (Atari Jaguar) - Super Thread (Read 33,038 times)

OpenMaw

OpenMaw



I don't know if this has ever been posted here before, but I found this very very interesting. Some CGI done by the guy who created the title screen for AVP on Jaguar. Looks like experimentation and the like. It's always cool to see early CGI and just how far it came in such a short number of years.

https://www.dal.net/ahd/art/alien/alien.html

426Buddy

426Buddy

#1
 :laugh:

I used to think that image was all kinds of amazing when i was young lol. I saw ir with an article in a gaming mag. Still love it for the nostalgia though.

I wanted to play avp jag so badly. I wish i had been able to play it back then. When i could have appreciated the graphics. I played the rom many years later but it was too dated by then.

I was all over avp99 when that came out though. I forced my parents to upgrade our computer for it.  ;D

OpenMaw

OpenMaw

#2
I actually owned a Jaguar for awhile, and AVP was the first game I sought out.

Honestly, if it didn't move like such a slog it would be a fairly enjoyable FPS game, but playing it on the native hardware, it's one of those thumb-blistering games where you feel yourself holding down the directional buttons to get any kind of reaction out of the game. The biggest issue is that the game has an awful frame rate which keeps it from playing smoothly.

It's also a shame because I think the game itself has some really great atmosphere. We didn't really get as nearly an atmospheric game until Alien Isolation. It's all about the bassy hum of the station with the random noises in the distance, and the howling of the air circulation system in the vent shafts.

I'd love to see someone actually remake the Jaguar AVP in a modern engine with design upgrades (obviously more intricate level layouts, but the same concept and tone.)

lost dragon

lost dragon

#3
Slow movement was done on purpose according to Rebellion:

"...Yes, the slower movement was intentional. All of the characters could have
moved as fast as the alien, but we wanted each to have it's own feel. We
did complain quite a bit about the turning speed, but were told that there
wasn't anything that could be done with it. We also requested a run for
the Marine and Predator as well, but it got pushed down the priority list
and dropped due to the need to get the game out. We also had a lot of
other nifty things we wanted to put into the game that got cut because of
time.

Dan
ex-Atari, Lead Tester of AvP"

OpenMaw

OpenMaw

#4
I'm not talking about the movement speed. I'm talking about the games reaction to input. Acceleration is slow, turning is slow, and it's because the frame rate is very clearly shit. It drops hard whenever multiple enemies are on screen. It feels like you're struggling with the controller at times.

lost dragon

lost dragon

#5
It's been so many years since i played it, i honestly cannot remember the input lag etc.

I loved it at the time, it was basically the Aliens game i had longed for, atmosphere espically,  but it was heavily flawed in key areas.

I still rate it higher than the likes of Alien Trilogy on Playstation 1 and as an experience Rebellion's last AVP which i played on PS3.

It would be superb to see it remastered in a modern game engine and have the flaws adressed and planned  extras added.


Rebellion remastered Rogue Trooper so they aren't against the idea of touching up past titles.
I wonder who holds the AVP licence now?

OpenMaw

OpenMaw

#6
Alien Trilogy has probably aged better because it leaned closer to Doom in terms of game structure. Where as AVP on Jaguar tried to be more of a survival horror experience and it has the design of one long continuous experience from game start to game end.

I think it's still with SEGA at this point if i'm not mistaken.

lost dragon

lost dragon

#7
Few more quotes etc from those involved in Jaguar AVP:

Andrew Whittaker has been quoted as saying that before all of the objects and creatures were placed,the 3D engine was running at about 50-60 frames per second. Due to the tracking and AI of all of these creatures,the engine slowed down to its present pace and he was willing to sacrifice speed for more realistic (and devious) AI...

Andrew is also quoted as saying that he also slowed the frame rate down on purpose, to make players think a bit more, ie did'nt want people rushing about like they did in other FPS.

Here's Lance Lewis talking about the speed reduction in AVP:

Greg: Was it really faster in a prev version than the final?
Lance: As long as there were no objects in the game, the engine was FLYING. As soon as the sprites were there.... Ugh. ;)
K3V: Yeah it's rumored to have been slowed down on purpose... Was that true?
Peter: I thought it was so slow because it had to calculate all those aliens running around
Lance: K3V, I don't think that was totally true, only that the alien had faster speed, that was about it.

Source:

http://www.ataritimes.com/index.php?ArticleIDX=499


Rebellion were at this point still a small development team and the Jaguar hardware and development tools had issues of their own to contend with, so i can see why the game suffered at times.

I appreciate it for trying to do something different to Doom and also not go the 2D side scrolling route like the AVP games before it,but i honestly couldn't play it today.

Rebellion had talked of doing another AVP games,years ago,but nothing came of it.

If Sega do still hold the license,  i wish they'd use it.

skull-splitter

skull-splitter

#8
Still have an Atari Jaguar with the AvP cassette, might try to play it during my summer vacation.

OpenMaw

OpenMaw

#9
I was actually really lucky to get my hands on a Jaguar in really good condition with AVP complete in it's box, with all the overlays intact.

and I was a stupid dumb idiot kid at the time and sold it for a measely hundred bucks. I'm still kicking myself over that. I had pretty much all the classics for the Jaguar too.

Corporal Hicks

Corporal Hicks

#10
It's one of my holy grail items. I will get one - and AvP one day. I've been managing to snag all the older holy grail pieces and I will get this too. I will!

lost dragon

lost dragon

#11
Updated the sites section on the game,via the comments section with a good few updates,over past few months:

https://www.avpgalaxy.net/games/alien-vs-predator-atari-jaguar/

All helps build bigger picture.

Starting to get impression there wasn't a great deal of love between Atari in the USA and Rebellion here in the UK, so had to leave out certain comments :-))

Wweyland

Wweyland

#12
Wow, this game almost had the Virtual Reality device. That ain't no Alien: Isolation with Oculus Rift though.

lost dragon

lost dragon

#13
Game could of had a lot of extra features and content:

Just posted up on the comments section for it, why the wall climbing Aliens and Predator Net weapons were cut 😢

Also the exclusive version Andrew Whittaker has/had with a knackered Predator who bitches and stops to smoke a cigarette. ..i kid you not 😂


And it seems there was a lot of ill feeling amongst the team during and after the game was developed.

Whittaker and Lewis don't seen keen on Rebellion...

Rebellion say once the A.I routines were finished, Whittaker was free to return to freelance work.

Whittaker says Atari haven't paid me for AVP sales. .

Atari via Don Thomas said that's completely untrue.

Yikes...

Inverse Effect

Inverse Effect

#14
Quote from: OpenMaw on Jun 05, 2018, 06:56:58 AM
Alien Trilogy has probably aged better because it leaned closer to Doom in terms of game structure. Where as AVP on Jaguar tried to be more of a survival horror experience and it has the design of one long continuous experience from game start to game end.

I think it's still with SEGA at this point if i'm not mistaken.

Yeah it's aged better. I still love playing that game.

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