Immersion?

[caz105]

What does a game have to do in order to immerse you? Equally what are the biggest in-game immersion breakers? For me it was in Fallout 3; the scenery sucked me in, I had just escaped the vault travelled through the wasteland to find Megaton and what do I find when I get there? Zombie-like people who stand and stare at you when you talk to them, they barely even blink!

 

[CosmicGrenade]

My game is that I like to play for that type of thing is called THE DAMN SEARCH BOX
You just type into it and see if someones had that idea yestuerday
It's a really good thing to try

Edit:Thanks for that I didn't notice the spelling

 

[Wayne Insane]

I thought about it, and it all comes down to the Doomguy, because he has 3 extremely strong arguments.First, he never has any contact to anything Human after Hells invasion begins, he never rests or has a short moment of silence,has no backup and does everything by himself.
Second, he has an awesome Comic Book and third he has a Chainsaw.
Beat that Master Chief.

EDIT:OH FUCK!!!I replyed in the wrong tab in my Browser!!!I'm terribly sorry!!

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Immersion is probably the hardest thing to pin down for any developer because it's so difficult to capture. I'm not even sure I'm capable of defining what makes for an immersive experience as it would seem that every aspect of the game must be considered. Were I to maek a list though, I suspect the ranking goes something like this:

Control: Because my interface to the world is entirely artificial, I must be able to perform maneuvers without thinking about the commands required to achieve a certain result. While most any control mechanism is functional in the long run, a solid control set requires little training time to become accustomed to.

Perspective: One can have immersion with a third person game but it seems to be more difficult. The first person perspective is the better route as I'm no longer "watcthing a character perform an action" but rather "experiencing the actions of the character".

Realism: Realism is important, but not in the usual definiton of the word. What I'm looking for plausability. That a power armored space marine can shrug off a hail of machine gun fire is plausable. That faith can run along a wall for a short distance is plausable. That I can pop a slug out of my wrist with a pair of pliers and be perfectly fine is not.

Graphics: The art style is unimportant, but they key is consistancy. Things need to seem as though they belong, and if they're out of place then the game needs to recognize this.

Sound: Our only two feedback mechanisms of any worth in video games to date are visual and aural, and as such sound is key. If I am walking along a clanky metal grating but it sounds like a concrete floor, immersion is damaged. If my doomcannon 9000 sounds like a pop gun my belief in it's realism is harmed.

Story: Much like the "realism" part, the story needs to be plauslbe. The biggest key comes in understanding the motivations of the major chracters. I tend to think that nobody who isn't a moron sets out to be a hero and no one wakes up one morning and decides to become the villian. For it's faults, Fable 2 provides an excellent example of believable motivation for several of the major characters.

 

[caz105]

My game is that I like to play for that type of thing is called THE DAMN SEARCH BOX
You just type into it and see if someones had that idea yesturday
It's a really good thing to try

Wow thanks for contributing nothing to the thread.
Also if you are criticising me you could at least have spelt yesterday right.

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

It may sound strange to some people, but I think the game Medieval II Total War has some great immersion, if you enjoy the time period and can imagine a thing or two about warfare. I can just imagine me giving out the orders, and ruling my empire with an iron fist.
Right now, playing as the Egyptians, me (the Sultan, of course), and the Crown Prince (who strangely enough is older than me, and probably wants to kill me, but that chivalrous sun of a ***** can't lose his reputation over a simple squabble like this) are out on campaign. We just vanquished the Byzantine Empire, when we just heard word of a new threat coming from the east.

Having strengthened our positions in the West, we are returning to the Holy Land, where we will amass the horde and fight this threat, in the name of Allah! Of course, only after our numerous spies have infiltrated their armies, and our dreaded assassin's have slain their leaders. Ah, I almost forgot, I should send out a diplomat, perhaps they are willing to surrender! Muhahahahaha!!!

Not many people can find a game like that immersive I reckon. You're looking at a few stylised icons of units, and a map of Europe with a bit of Africa and the Middle East depicting your empire. Yet the background of all the units, the individuality of your generals, the strategically sound ways of fighting, and the historical phenomena happening around you are extremely well done I think.

 

[AdmiralWolverineLightningbolt]

just needs to run smoothly with few to no glitches and keep my attention

 

[suicidal pencil]

I think immersion happens when the player does not have to think about playing the game in order to play the game.

 

[Scarecrow38]

Immersion is when all I think about is the game's universe and I don't get put back outside it.

Oblivion and the half- life series (more hl2 and onwards) did that for me. I think the big part is having lots to do, or compelling story and characters.

Things that ruin immersion is anything that reminds you it's a game like cutscenes and end of level scores/ loading screens.

 

[Skeleon]

Now I'm sad.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Edit:Thanks for that I didn't notice the spelling...

yestuerday

Buh?
I think it's Yesterday.

On topic: Immersion is good for a game, especially if it's the kind that actually makes you give a crap about your peons. That way, you'll play smarter with them, and use greater protection to make sure nothing bad happens.

 

[beholdmycape]

The only kind of immersion I like is being lowered slowly into a massive vat of custard.
Now 'that's' immersion.

 

[Biek]

My game is that I like to play for that type of thing is called THE DAMN SEARCH BOX
You just type into it and see if someones had that idea yestuerday
It's a really good thing to try

Edit:Thanks for that I didn't notice the spelling

I wish people would stop doing this. Would you rather have only 2 new topics a day? because someone in the past brought up the subject before?

Reminding people of the search function over every thread only makes you look like a douche.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

It has to not feel like a game. As the bloke who did podcasts for WAR said.
"Immersion is where you're up all the time palying Halo 3 and you don't realise you haven't washed or eaten in 3 days and your wife has left you".

 

[JemJar]

Balance, in all things. (cookie for the quote spot)

Oblivion for instance has a massively complex facial system allowing people to look markedly different, so that you can recognise your favourite shopkeeper for instance, and to show some degree of facial expression. However there are only a handful of "civilian" voices. Bethesda worked to create a realistic world full of people with realistic routines - then level-scaled the enemies so that near the end of the game a quiet wander in the woods is punctuated by an attack by five goblin warlords.

For some reason I find Fallout 3 much more compelling.

 

[JemJar]

It has to not feel like a game. As the bloke who did podcasts for WAR said.
"Immersion is where you're up all the time palying Halo 3 and you don't realise you haven't washed or eaten in 3 days and your wife has left you".

That's being unemployed. Or a student.

 

[beholdmycape]

"Bye honey, sorry I love playing this terrible, generic, shit sandwich game more than I love you!"

 

[ffxfriek]

Oblivion and Legend of the Dragoon, i could really feel like quote "the stalwart hero of the land" in those games, ofcourse Oblivion took awhile before getting to the juciey missions =P

seconded