2016 Community Game of the Year - Results posted (at last)!

zeroKFE wrote:

If we back away from expansions being okay, then what about sequels? It might seem like they obviously merit separate inclusion, but I'd argue that some games (even games I mostly love, like the Assassin's Creed series) often release sequels that offer substantially less than many expansions or updates to games as services. And again, as current trends progress the business mechanics of how thing get packaged up and sold to us (or explicitly NOT packaged and sold to us, new or not), it's going to get fuzzier and fuzzier.

WoW: Legion and Elite: Dangerous Horizons are on my list whenever I get around to posting them.

I am desperate to inflict my two cents on everyone so here goes: This list is a reflection of what we played this year. Expansion or no, I think it's very clear Elite would be on Zero's list, just speaking as someone subbed to that thread.

Further... despite how much work it takes dear clock to tabulate all this, the final list isn't sacrosanct. It's just a list, determined by maths. It's a super fun distraction and I'm thrilled it happens every year, but it's a review of what we as a community enjoyed the most this year, not what we as a community paid for and played through. If a member of the community is on here and is still a member of those 2000 people that are still ONLY playing the Unreal Tournament demo, list that sh*t at #1. You scare me, but that's a more accurate depiction of the year this community has had than if we demanded they only list what they bought this year.

By that token, I should be putting Galaxy of Heroes on my list again this year but I'm not because of a deep and abiding shame.

So expansions, games as service, first time played, I don't think any of that matters. Which 10 games did YOU enjoy the most this year? That's what I'm here for.

Anyway, y'all just got my opinion all up in here.

Everyone step away from the keyboards and get themselves a breath of fresh but very cold (depending on your regional climate) air.

Zero, as you recall, my stance, if we're going to be official and rules lawyery about this, is expansions don't count. People keep saying Blood and Wine was big, and that it was bigger than other AAA games, but more of the same doesn't mean "new" to me. So technically, I'm in agreement! But what you consider "new" may not actually be "new". I got sucked right back into Rise of Iron because Bungie made adjustments, tweaks, and introduced new content. It's not going on my list because, at the end of the day, it's still Destiny.

The funny thing about games as service is that they're about loops, and that loop has to be really good to keep you playing regularly, and if it works, you're going to see all the minute details that tweak and improve that loop, or add to that loop, or do something to that loop. You mentioned last year Elite Dangerous added content that changed how you played, and that's great. If that new content was truly new and fresh, there's no reason it shouldn't have gone on your list.

But if you want to add Elite without feeling guilty, then just explain how it was new. How you played it differently this year compared to last year. And if you feel the need to defend it so vehemently, ask yourself if maybe you're projecting onto the community a little too much.

We all follow our own rules here. I limit myself to new games I played that released January 1st 2016 to December 31st 2016 (or 2015, or 2014, etc...). But I do not provide such limits on anyone else. Why? Because that's no fun.

The only reason it would matter this much is either you're worried about what everyone else will think and being argued with, or you're worried about where Elite ends up sitting in the final tally of votes. Somethin' tells me the latter doesn't matter too much, so I say stop worrying, and compartmentalize your list to being your list.

Because that's what this is. Your list. Her list. His list. My list.

If I wanted to, I'd have written paragraphs already on my ideal GotY awards bullsh*t. But that's not what this thread is about and that just ruins the fun. If someone truly believes a game that is a service reinvents the game for them, then they are perfectly free to add it. And so are you. Don't take it so seriously, and don't try to influence how others think and feel about how they approach it. It's just fun.

I mean, what are we, GameFAQs?

EDIT: Oily-haussered.

Everyone vote for Skyrim Special Edition and let's avenge 2011.

zeroKFE wrote:

Maybe, maybe not — during my time as a WoW player, some "off years" I felt gave me entirely new experiences throughout the year, and some just gave me a bit more of the same. But again, how fundamentally different is that from the Witcher 3 example above?

It really isn't. Content patches for the games in question are often provide new experiences as big or bigger than paid DLC or expansion packs.

Demyx wrote:

Personally if we had to choose I'd prefer cutting the "expansions are okay" rule entirely rather than go in the direction you're proposing. I have zero interest in a list full of games-as-services and expansion packs that people preferred. Wouldn't that be better as a separate list or category for those who want it?

But I agree with Demyx here. If any change were going to be made, I would vote for it here. Again, these lists are about new experiences. DLCs and Expansion packs are rarely new experiences, they're just more experiences. I don't want to see the same games at the top of anyone's list year after year. That's dull for a thread like this.

Edit: Damn, this moved quickly. Let's just keep things the same forever so I don't hurt myself from thinking too much.

Look, WoW is my eternal top 5ish game of the year.

Wait, I'm supposed to be paying attention to the rules?.

I keed, I keed, but only a little bit. I've bent the GOTY rules before, usually to note a game that wasn't technically new to me that year, if that was the year when I was metaphorically sucking the marrow out of the games bones.

Which is why you should look for The Witcher 3 in my 2017 GOTY list, as I started playing it two weeks ago.

I really only played one new game this year... and it was Overwatch. So... I'm voting for Overwatch (PC).

Diablo 2 got a patch this year!

ccesarano wrote:

But if you want to add Elite without feeling guilty, then just explain how it was new. How you played it differently this year compared to last year. And if you feel the need to defend it so vehemently, ask yourself if maybe you're projecting onto the community a little too much.

I can easily justify my choice of Elite again this year (and in effect already did in my post above), but look: I'm not really on the defense about my personal choice here, I'm on the defense for the concept that a more inclusive attitude about what counts as a new gaming experience might be worth considering.

You say there are no rules and no authority here, but you are simultaneously speaking from a position of relative authority when you do so. And while I'm sure she greatly regrets it right now (for which I am truly sorry), Clock is the defacto final authority for this particular exercise, because she begins the process by laying out a set of ground rules. Games are changing though, and through no fault of her own, the established guidelines are becoming less inclusive each year as the way we interact with games changes.

You say that we are free to follow our own rules, and certainly Clock has been more than accommodating to that effect -- but as a person who likes to try to abide by the rules as established by those running the show, it's a little discouraging when my personal recent experience of games feels only accepted as an exception to the rules as presented, instead of fully welcomed without justification. And, perhaps I'm not alone in that.

I'm voting for the arcade version of Asteroids because nobody said it had to be one of your Earth's years.

Perhaps I say too much . . .

kergguz wrote:

Diablo 2 got a patch this year!

Yeah well, Age of Empires 2 is apparently getting a whole expansion next week!

The thing is I'm arguing for inclusivity from a different perspective: these sorts of "top game" lists so rarely include anything I'm even all that interested in, much less something I played and loved, and allowing people to put their favorite games-as-services on their lists year after year makes that effect even more pronounced.

But whatever, I'm not in the gaming zeitgeist either way.

I'm approaching it like I will with my NeoGaf post (which will just be a cut & paste of the one I linked last page)...if my votes don't get counted because of some arbitrary mutterings about DLC and such, I won't be bothered about it. I'm just going to throw my Top 10 out there either way. Sharing my joy is enough for me in and of itself.

'Gaf has really strict rules. No Early Access (RimWorld will be showing up as my #2). 2016 Calendar Year Only (Alto's Adventure (2015) will be on my list). Not sure what they have to say about DLC (CK2: The Reaper's Due will also be making an appearance).

I try not to overthink it. Just create a list that feels true to my favorite 2016 experiences.

Demyx wrote:

The thing is I'm arguing for inclusivity from a different perspective: these sorts of "top game" lists so rarely include anything I'm even all that interested in, much less something I played and loved, and allowing people to put their favorite games-as-services on their lists year after year makes that effect even more pronounced.

But whatever, I'm not in the gaming zeitgeist either way.

I'm not really sure it would have that effect at all. As Oily explained so well, I suspect it would mostly have the effect of having the final tabulation be a bit more representative of the new things people in the community enjoyed in a given year. You might occasionally see a DotA or an Overwatch pop up into the top 10 in the final counting of an additional year, but if those games had something truly new enough about them to make THAT many people feel compelled to include them in there lists? Well, I think I'd find that interesting to see.

ccesarano wrote:

if we're going to be official and rules lawyery about this

Did someone call for the lawyer?

To my mind, both views are reasonable and we all know Goodjers love posting our bloody lists (Final Fantasy favourites, the pile or piles x n^t etc).

So why not take a moderate approach - Clocky's list is about the new experience, and someone can make a new annual thread about which games we played the everloving sh*t out of with no rules cutting out games due to their age?

There, everyone gets an internet cookie!

zeroKFE wrote:

but if those games had something truly new enough about them to make THAT many people feel compelled to include them in there lists?

When you're knee deep in a game you love that you've been playing for years, your definition of "new and gamechanging" is an outsider's "okay you they moved the numbers around so what". So I would expect a lot of "I'm still playing a lot of Overwatch and they added a character I like so on the list it goes." I mean because we allow DLC I've done that very thing with things like Smash, Mario Kart 8 and Binding of Isaac -- none of those expansions were actually truly new, just more of the things I like from games I already like.

Hey y'all, I came here to read the cool lists. The lists make me happy. Just post the lists already and have one of bfgp's cookies.

Bfgp wrote:

So why not take a moderate approach - Clocky's list is about the new experience, and someone can make a new annual thread about which games we played the everloving sh*t out of with no rules cutting out games due to their age?

There, everyone gets an internet cookie!

Agreed, somewhat.
Except it should not be a "no rules" vote, this one is mostly no rules too - both would end up with nearly the same games.
People in the GOTY thread should be able to vote for pretty much whatever they feel they can justify to themselves within the guidelines made by Clock. Just like they can now.

A "Game Update of the Year" thread could be interesting. If anyone can be bothered to make one. We probably haven't done a good job convincing anyone over the last few pages

Demyx wrote:
zeroKFE wrote:

but if those games had something truly new enough about them to make THAT many people feel compelled to include them in there lists?

When you're knee deep in a game you love that you've been playing for years, your definition of "new and gamechanging" is an outsider's "okay you they moved the numbers around so what". So I would expect a lot of "I'm still playing a lot of Overwatch and they added a character I like so on the list it goes." I mean because we allow DLC I've done that very thing with things like Smash, Mario Kart 8 and Binding of Isaac -- none of those expansions were actually truly new, just more of the things I like from games I already like.

I don't know, even if you posted those with an admission your judgement of newness is flawed, I still think it's fascinating to read about the fact that you are still enjoying those additions well enough to count them amongst your best new experiences of the year. The final counts are fun and all, but just as much or more of the joy is reading through the lists and getting a full summary of what things people enjoyed in the year, and I'd feel poorer for it if your lists hadn't included those titles.

zeroKFE wrote:

The final counts are fun and all, but just as much or more of the joy is reading through the lists and getting a full summary of what things people enjoyed in the year, and I'd feel poorer for the exclusion if your lists hadn't included those titles.

Not to diminish Clocks awesome work, but yeah, peoples individual lists is the meat of the GOTY threads.
They are the ones that year after year make my Steam wish list explode in happiness and my wallet cry.
While the top 10 is usually 'just' a list of well-known games I have already played or would never want to play regardless.

Shadout wrote:

A "Game Update of the Year" thread could be interesting. If anyone can be bothered to make one. We probably haven't done a good job convincing anyone over the last few pages :)

Were I not loath to add to Clock's workload, I'd suggest adding a sub-category for this, a la Darksiders of the Year.

Jonman wrote:
Shadout wrote:

A "Game Update of the Year" thread could be interesting. If anyone can be bothered to make one. We probably haven't done a good job convincing anyone over the last few pages :)

Were I not loath to add to Clock's workload, I'd suggest adding a sub-category for this, a la Darksiders of the Year.

Wouldn't it just always be won by the Zelda of Last Year?

We have more discussion about lists then actual lists.

I feel like this is all being made so over-complicated and I don't even know why now since most everyone is fine with someone voting in a game as service if they feel the desire.

Why is this such a problem? What is there to argue about? At what point does Clock retire from this bullsh*t?

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
Jonman wrote:
Shadout wrote:

A "Game Update of the Year" thread could be interesting. If anyone can be bothered to make one. We probably haven't done a good job convincing anyone over the last few pages :)

Were I not loath to add to Clock's workload, I'd suggest adding a sub-category for this, a la Darksiders of the Year.

Wouldn't it just always be won by the Zelda of Last Year?

So, Darksiders?

Is anyone actually going through the list from previous years to make sure people are not voting for the same games every year? Unless you specify in your post, I wouldn't have a clue that you were playing it last year.

I don't think I've played 10 games this year, so I'll do my best the rate those I remember playing and we'll take it from there:

1. XCOM 2.

The best strategy game this year by some distance. Challenging (and then some), constant 'meaningful choice' decision making and some deeply satisfying gameplay. Sure some rough edges - the final mission difficultly curve, the random elements sometimes leaving you utterly at the mercy of the RNG, a really confusing strategic layer at first, but really delivered where it mattered. My GOTY.

2. Stellaris.

There is much to love about this game, and also much to leave the player incredibly frustrated and bored. When it soars it has a galactic scale that no other 4x game has ever come close to, and tale you weave of your fledgling empire stumbling into the great unknown is unsurpassed. Other times it feels like a mess of mechanics constantly fighting against each other leaving you with nothing to do. I think it's greatest 4x since MOO2, but boy do Paradox still have an almighty amount of work still to do on it. But, you know, it's Paradox. You know they'll keep working on it.

3. Civ VI

I suspect this is probably a better game than Stellaris but I haven't really had enough time to play it through. It looks gorgeous, the unstacking of cities feels like a evolutionary step to the series a little overdue, and it gives you many more options over play style and victory conditions than Civ V's 'pick your Civ for the victory condition you want at the start' approach. Several 2am finishes tell you all you need to know about 'one more turn' addictiveness.....

4. Elite Dangerous: Horizons

Came back to this after playing it for about 100 hours on release and then stopping and leaving it for months. Again, galactic in scale (in a very literal sense) and the constant teasing of the Meta game (The Thargoids, The Formidine Rift, The Alien Ruins) is as fascinating as it is frustrating to those people who can't do sound file analysis, interpret Binary or think in Octal. Does the rest of the game support the mysteries? Probably not to be honest but if you've ever just wanted to jump in a ship and go explore the galaxy a this game is the closest you are going to get for a very long time indeed.

4: Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

The first RTS I've played in a very long time (possibly since Sins of a Solar Empire) but really enjoyable. Not quite as stately as Homeworld, but again with the looking gorgeous, it feels like the balance between strategy and tactics is about right and when the missile trails start criss-crossing the desert skies it looks really rather pretty

5: Dragon Age: Inquisition, GOTY edition.

Picked it up cheap in a sale and it consumed the next 100 hours of my
Gaming time. Yes, I played it on release and completed despite some abysmal performance issues on the PC version. The Trespassers DLC though clearly demonstrates just how good DLC should be done. Rounds off the game nicely while leading you on to DA4 with some anticipation. For all their flaws, bioware's games always make you feel for the characters they create and it's a real wrench to bid them farewell.

5: Cities: Skylines

It reminds me very much of playing Sim City 2000 a very long time ago. I've bumped this up to my full list as it feels a bit mean not too. Sure I think it doesn't explain some of its systems very well (most of my cities seem to end up gridlocked no matter what I attempt to prevent that) but it is probably the most therapeutic game I've played in a very long time.

6: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Given as a gift over the festive period. The game itself is a slightly uninspired linear shooter but it captures the feels of being a Space Marine really rather well at that alone means it deserves some recognition!

7: Grim Dawn

Totally forgot I played this. Which in itself is a little telling, but having played an aRPG since Torchlight this was perfect 'nobrain'
Gaming at a time when work related stress was baking my noodle.

EDIT: Edited for some spelling & grammatical errors only. I made the original post on my phone, blame fat finger syndrome.

Edit edit: Christmas period games added.

EverythingsTentative wrote:

Is anyone actually going through the list from previous years to make sure people are not voting for the same games every year? Unless you specify in your post, I wouldn't have a clue that you were playing it last year.

Sometimes but this year for me has been new titles.

EverythingsTentative wrote:

Is anyone actually going through the list from previous years to make sure people are not voting for the same games every year? Unless you specify in your post, I wouldn't have a clue that you were playing it last year.

Beware. If you copy-paste your GOTY picks, the GWJ cops will send you to Cleveland.