Are there any games where YOU are being escorted? If not, how would we make a game like that good?

[BloodSquirrel]

Escort missions are pretty much a staple in video games. And most of the time, they can be downright frustrating, with some notable exceptions. (For me it's ICO)

But I can't help but wonder:

Are there any games where you yourself are being escorted? How would one make a game like that fun? I'd imagine it would kinda be like a puzzle game in which you have to both support the guy protecting you and solve puzzles while he's defending you. You would also have to be frail in order to reinforce the idea that you are the one being protected instead of vice versa.

I'd imagine if done wrong, this kind of thing would be rather tedious and annoying, but if done right, it could provide a somewhat unique experience.

What say you fellow Escapists? Any examples of games where you're being escorted? And how would one make a game like that good and fun to play?

I think there were some games like that made back in Soviet Russia.

 

[Vale]

The first STALKER game, Shadow of Chernobyl, had a quest where you were supposed to save some scientist guy from a bunch of mercs. You could, in fact, choose to let them kill him and proceed anyway. If you did save him, you'd have to escort him to the edge of the Ecologists' (scientist guy's faction) territory. He even tells you he's a shit shot and apologizes for being dead weight.
Which is blatant lies. His weapon is a shitty broken submachine gun, but if you give him at least a Kalash, he goes all White Death and pulls off headshot after headshot on the incoming mercs. Has a lot of health too, so he's not very likely to die either. You can basically follow him around and watch him murder fools left and right.
Good times.

 

[scorptatious]

I think there were some games like that made back in Soviet Russia.

I see what you did there.

 

[Naeras]

Every post-MW1 Call of Duty-game I have tried falls within that category. Stuff just happens, and you happen to tag along.

Also, Skyrim. I played a conjurer, and got bored with the game because I had an armed NPC, two summoned thingies that looked like Sauron and a horse kill anything that came within half a mile of me, leaving me to pick flowers and loot whoever my escort would horribly murder.

 

[Someone Depressing]

In a lot of MMOs, I'm usually a support character (Ie, Buffs and Status Ailment Cures) to people drag me around to cast the same spell on them until their muscles alone as the size of a small car.

It makes me feel kind of proud.

 

[Thr33X]

Pretty much all FPS single player games for the most part, especially from Modern Warfare onwards. You're mostly following other squad members or characters around the locales solely for the sake of knowing which way to go and not get lost, plus you're told most times what to do and when.

EXAMPLE: "It's a tank! Hey, go over there and get that (conveniently placed) RPG to take it out!"

 

[DudeistBelieve]

There is one game. Halfe Life 2: Episode 1.

I'm not kidding. I played that episode and was never sure if I was escorting Alyx or she was escorting me.


As for how you'd make a game like that fun.... I don't think you could...that'd essentially be a game where you do nothing but walk and the AI's do everything.

what if we made it a greifer game?

Where the idea is now WE THE PLAYER get to be the one to aggravate the A.I. and make the mission as difficult as possible?

Aggravating an emotionless construct of event driven code... uh...that would be pretty meaningless. It'd be like insulting a rock. Also how do you rate success or failure in such a game? Actually there is a concept where that could work...

No. In my vision the AI is completely sentient, and we basically created it to just aggravate it.

It actually sounds like a horrible layer of hell doesn't it?