Dreams (Media Molecule)

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James
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Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by James »

I don't think there's any existing topic about Media Molecule's game creation game, Dreams, currently in early access. Apologies if there is; I did search for relevant topics, honest!

I'm utterly useless and unskilled when it comes to creative endeavours. Music, painting, sculpting, drawing... you name it, I have never put the time in to git gud. That said, I do have ideas. Not good ideas, you understand, but ideas nonetheless.

What I'm wondering is if anyone on these here forums has tried Dreams, and (if so) how you feel about it as a creative tool for making not just games, but artwork and sound and animations, etc. I'm after feedback particularly as to how beginner friendly it is.

Would, for example, Dreams be less intimidating to learn than something like After Effects for animation, or Photoshop for art creation?

Also, just in general, has anyone given Dreams a try? What do you think?

Thanks in advance.
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Stanshall
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by Stanshall »

From everything I've heard, and sorry to be a downer, it's an incredibly rich set of tools which require a massively time consuming learning curve unless you're already familiar with game development, music production and graphic design/3D modelling. It seems like a fun and very interactive way to learn how to use these tools though, albeit probably a much slower one than sitting down at a computer.

I am still interested in it but I'm probably more looking forward to STG Builder on the Switch, which is potentially more my level.
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Stanshall
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by Stanshall »

Oh, bollocks. Cheers. I totally misunderstood in which case. Thought I could create my own overlapping bullet curtains on the bog.
ThirdMan

Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by ThirdMan »

Anyone else thinking about picking this up? I haven't a creative bone in my body so I'm only interested in the Dream Surfing section (basically a library of other people's creations).

I often scrub through itch.io for game jam type stuff. The results are hit and miss but the passion is there. Dreams seems like it would be packed full of that stuff, plus I'd have the ability to tinker with things myself. Game development baffles me so perhaps this would lend my inquistivenses some sort of tactility.

€40 seems slightly steep for what I want it for but I'll be keeping an eye on it.
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Sinclair Gregstrum
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by Sinclair Gregstrum »

I've been keeping half an eye on this.

I was particularly interested to see what the single player story turned out to be, as putting all the creation tools and user generated content to one side, I'd have picked this up if it had ended with even 6-8 hours of Media Molecule gaming gold in there. Sadly, it's apparently nothing more than a casual 2-3 hour stroll, so it's just not worth the price of entry for me. The creation tools do seem incredibly impressive and powerful, but it's just not something I'll ever have time to dive into sadly.

Huge credit to Sony though - they've shuttered many studios with far less cause than Media Molecule have given them over the last 7 years and countless millions spent on developing Dreams. With the best will in the world I can't see them making that investment back either, so I really hope Sony's apparent blind affection for the studio stays strong over the coming months!
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by ThirdMan »

Sinclair Gregstrum wrote: February 13th, 2020, 2:24 pm I've been keeping half an eye on this.

I was particularly interested to see what the single player story turned out to be, as putting all the creation tools and user generated content to one side, I'd have picked this up if it had ended with even 6-8 hours of Media Molecule gaming gold in there. Sadly, it's apparently nothing more than a casual 2-3 hour stroll, so it's just not worth the price of entry for me. The creation tools do seem incredibly impressive and powerful, but it's just not something I'll ever have time to dive into sadly.

Huge credit to Sony though - they've shuttered many studios with far less cause than Media Molecule have given them over the last 7 years and countless millions spent on developing Dreams. With the best will in the world I can't see them making that investment back either, so I really hope Sony's apparent blind affection for the studio stays strong over the coming months!
Yeah I read a Eurogamer piece on it earlier and the campaign just sounds like flavour text for what the full suite is capable of. That is a shame, and perhaps ill-considered because, as you've pointed out, the game is unlikely to do massive business. A long and well-received campaign may have helped things along in the regard. It sounds like you and I would have handed over full price tomorrow if that was the case. I'm sure we're not alone. I'll definitely buy it at some stage just to have a look-see but I'll wait for a sale, or until I get drunk. Whatever happens first.
ThirdMan

Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by ThirdMan »

I've just watched IGN's review and yeah, I'll be jumping in at midnight. There's enough there to warrant a purchase at full price for me. Weird, directionless exploration combined with a flurry of typical genre fare. Sold.
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Alex79
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by Alex79 »

I've watched plenty of 'best creations in Dreams' videos on YouTube, and yeah, the majority of it looks like stuff you'd knock up and show your mates but nobody is ever going to sit down and actually play it. It all seems a bit too piecemeal, 2 minute distractions. A hearty single player mode may have piqued my interest, but I really didn't like Little Big Planet, and whilst they're totally seperate games, that was another one where players were expected to make or download their own amusement and I just never got anything out of it. The user created stuff was always so amateur - and of course it was, I'm not knocking it, I couldn't do any better - but it was never worth actually playing outside of mild curiosity.
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by ThirdMan »

Alex79uk wrote: February 13th, 2020, 6:05 pm I've watched plenty of 'best creations in Dreams' videos on YouTube, and yeah, the majority of it looks like stuff you'd knock up and show your mates but nobody is ever going to sit down and actually play it. It all seems a bit too piecemeal, 2 minute distractions. A hearty single player mode may have piqued my interest, but I really didn't like Little Big Planet, and whilst they're totally seperate games, that was another one where players were expected to make or download their own amusement and I just never got anything out of it. The user created stuff was always so amateur - and of course it was, I'm not knocking it, I couldn't do any better - but it was never worth actually playing outside of mild curiosity.
Little Big Planet was the final nail in the coffin for me in terms of a multitude of creative endeavours. I was also messing around with music production suites, African drumming and watercolurs during that period. Having a grand old time but uniformly awful at everything. My failure to create anything even remotely interesting in LBP sort of lit the fuse on all of that. I'd hit my mid-20s and realised that an office job and a conventional life was waiting for me. So here I am a decade later, jumping back into their new game to escape said job and life! At least I can laugh at the tragedy of it.
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raisinbman
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by raisinbman »

Dreams' support is ending in September. Might be a good time to put it in on the C&R list, then?

In a world with Roblox, Minecraft(and now Fortnite), perhaps you can't just force creation games to be successful? Especially since grabbing the kid audience seems to be key. I haven't heard anyone talk about this or what sort of creations spawned from it, but I'd be curious since this is being put in the proverbial old folks' home.
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Re: Dreams (Media Molecule)

Post by ratsoalbion »

It's on the list. Not sure how many of the team have really engaged with it fully though.
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