DoPo said:
Savagezion said:
DoPo said:
Savagezion said:
What type of game is this?
*precise genre*
"Erm, what does this one do?"
Given the wide variety of games out there, you would need an equally large amount of genres to capture them in [footnote]also you'd probably want
more as the variations don't lend themselves well to getting in a tight definition, thus a "smaller" more focused genre tags would be better suited for describing games. The tradeoff is, of course, that you may need half a dozen tags per game at least[/footnote], so I guess the above is going to be a more frequent response.
I like the idea of multi genres. Like 'Adventure FPS' and such.
Well, nearly all current games are classified with at least two genres - CoD is different to ArmA, for example and their descriptions differ - one is a modern military shooter (or other descriptors like "spunkgargleweewee") while the other is a....well, frankly I'm not sure myself as I'm not really familiar, but I think I've seen the words "simulation" and "realistic" associated with it, so let's call it a "realistic simulation shooter". The two already differ. And as I said, that's the case with nearly all games - we have action adventures, action RPG, real-time/turn based strategy and so on. It's inevitable considering games are constantly evolving, expanding, and changing. And that is a big part of the problem classifying them - you can draw arbitrary lines to separate them and yet they can and do step over those lines then even go into uncharted regions for extra complexity. And the uncharted regions may already contain some of the other games that exist already, but it wasn't a big enough thing to label. Something that is still going to be present if the classification system is overhauled.
Well, modern military shooter seems especially vague for a genre. It only describes the setting, not the mechanics at all. TPS? FPS? spec ops the line is technically a modern military shooter. Like it or not, a genre system of some kind will be used. The current one sucks and is way too vague in many areas.
Savagezion said:
I do believe that very soon RPG will either be phased out entirely, or get a more specific defintiion and/or name.
To be honest - there pretty much are no RPGs. No "pure" ones anyway - it's sort of impossible to say "this game is an RPG" and just that - partly because of the above phenomena where games rea already multigenre, and partly because of what this thread shows - RPG is too much of a nebulous and unclear term.
I agree. Which is why the genre system needs reworked because people will continuously call things RPGs until eventually every game will be referred to as an RPG which will make people stop using the term altogether. However, "RPG gameplay" isn't being lumped into another genre but being divvied up amongst the entire industry. About 10 well known and different mechanics going 10 different directions all at once. Slap a label on that mechanic and it gets representation on describing the game to the consumer.
Savagezion said:
If you have ever tried to define Mirror's Edge to someone in real life, it is very apparent the genre system in place is balls. But if we look at the GUI, it is a FPS GUI. It mostly uses melee combat though, messing up the whole "shooter" part even though you actually see shooter aspect from the outside in.Clear as mud?
Actually, Mirror's Edge is really easy to explain in few short words - it is a first person free runner.
Which is basically what I said with the 'VRC' stuff, only you use free runner, I used calisthenics. However, I was trying to think of a new name for plaformers with calisthenics which is why I didn't like the name. I see free running as still platforming. Both make gameplay that plays out like obstacle courses you you can easily fall to your death in often and you have to run and jump through the obstacles having enemies occasionally show up for additional challenge to the course. Some include a diving mechanic or bosses but overall, it is the same thing. WOuld you be cool with free runner being the name of plaformers now? I would be cool with that. I would also be cool with Adventure taking the platformer spot and Adventure be renamed Mystery.
If you say First Person as a genre, already many don't know what you are saying if they haven't played CoD(casuals). Usually comparing the game to CoD though makes them understand as they are aware of CoD. SO right off the bat, many people's minds are now making a direct comparison to CoD or at least a shooter. Now, from here, as you begin to describe the game, here is what your description probably sounds like to them:
You drop your gun in CoD, take off running, and try not to get shot trying to jump over things. Plus, you're on a map where you can fall to your death easy. That's what Mirror's Edge sounds like from the outside often. LOL and that game sounds stupid and horrible. But you get special abilities is the difference. One ability is often seen in racing games. Merely not hitting things makes you accelerate to much higher speeds. Most come from platformers though allowing you special actions on special surfaces. If you have played Zelda, Tomb Raider, or Darksiders, you'll recognize it. Those games use it mostly for climbing, where as Mirror's Edge uses it for climbing and running momentum for wall runs and backflips. Plus you still have melee combat available.
Savagezion said:
Anyways maybe first person camera needs it's own name.
Incidentally it has - as I mentioned, it's "first person".
As you know from that very line you are quoting, I am aware. But whatever, I don't care the name. Just playing around with the VR stuff. I have an idea I use, and was throwing it out there is all. Sue me.
Savagezion said:
Really, a lot of games fall under that catagory now days. But today's media influences future media. A system like that will seem crazy to casuals because they are mostly covered with a story premise in the film industry. Having a 20-30 genres may seem overly complex from the the outside in. However, it will have a 6-8 genre key.The first 2-3 letters will be the most important for describing the game. It could be a VR - ShRPG. That looks crazy but the VR is enough for most people to know if they want to play it.
Again - I do not see this working. Who decides what the biggest aspect of the games is? If we are breaking the genres up into many smaller ones, there may as well be many that would pre prominent. Also, considering it's unlikely for there to be a unified classification, since there is no central "authority", we can quickly see that the genres can differ and differ a lot accross people who describe them. One person may apply one set of genres to a game, another may apply other set of genres. There could very well be both correct, but where do you get the total number of genres? Or going further, the two people above may call one genre by different names, or one may have one name for two of the genres of the other person. And so on.
Who decides the first letters is probably the game makers. What are they billing it as? RPG should just no longer be allowed as front billing. RPGs today either use turn-based, FPS, H/S, or TPS. They will all use those models if they have combat in them. I don't want someone to tell me a game is an RPG because today, that tells me nothing of the game. It could be a FPS, H/S, etc. I would rather just hear the combat model. That tells me something about the game. If it has no combat, it is probably a Simulation mechanic at the helm; could be economic, could be dialogue paths. I want to know what that is. Many good RPGs try to use both. An engine to make a simulated world with a good combat engine. The two mechanics also compete for resources in development.
You can still use the term RPG and consider some games RPGs and some not, but it can no longer be "primarily an RPG" as too many different types of those exist now. Instead, just go the other way. Nothing can be considered primarily an RPG, its too big. The term RPG should work as a tag rather than a genre. Someone always posts "looking for RPGs" and automatically, "what kind? what do you play? what do you like? etc." Someone could recognize that they like one type of RPG and not another and both are heavy RPGs but they wont count one and then people make youtube videos, and people die. It's horrible.
Ultimately, though the person describing the game picks the first 3 letters. I think it needs standardized. Let's use the metric system this time.