Collateral damage

[Iwata]

So, with this talk of MW3 and its inevitable "shock" moments, the question is: do you kill civilians in games that allow you to do so? Do you go out of your way to avoid it, or will you do it if it makes the game easier?

Personally, I try to avoid killing civilians unless it's inevitable or there's a good in-game motivation for my character to be doing it. Some games are rendered a lot harder because of trying to do this (Prototype, for one), but I find the extra effort is in keeping with what reality would reflect.

Even in strategy games like the Total War or Civilization series I try to avoid as much collateral damage as possible, using mass murder only as a last resort.

Your own view on the matter?

 

[Savryc]

Maim, Kill, Burn!

Massacre is the only way to go, those unruly settlements in Total War soon shut up when you put them to the torch. What's that neutral Civ? My culture isn't high enough for that city to convert to my empire peacefully? Well maybe the rubble of your city will be more co-operative!

 

[lobster1077]

It's encouraged by some games, Grand Theft Auto 4 has that brilliantly hilarious physics system and killing civilians is Stronghold is pretty much requisite if you're inclined towards actually winning.

 

[DasDestroyer]

I try not to... even when I play a game going for bad karma, I usually don't get to the end because it just feels wrong. :/

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

My attitude usually lies somewhere along the lines of 'I won't kill civvies if there is no reason to, but if they run across my field of fire during a gunfight then fuck 'em, dumb bastards'. Every so often I feel the need to do a paragon or psycho run, but usually I don't bother NPCs if they don't bother me. I have a zero tolerance policy on the ones that do bother me though.