Interactivity
- Thread starter Yahtzee Croshaw
- Start date
Bioshock's intro would be number 2 on my personal list. Numero uno would be the original Half-Life's loooong opening (train ride, walk to the test chamber, test going wrong and then finding yourself in the wrecked labs dodging hazards).
I also remember liking the start of Max Payne 1 a lot - going home, finding your house being invaded, shooting the druggies there and discovering your murdered wife and child. I guess it wouldn't be a "hall-of-famer" of game intros or anything, but it struck a cord with me.
I also remember liking the start of Max Payne 1 a lot - going home, finding your house being invaded, shooting the druggies there and discovering your murdered wife and child. I guess it wouldn't be a "hall-of-famer" of game intros or anything, but it struck a cord with me.
"All games contain crates, therefore all games can be judged empirically on those crates. ... Games can be rated and compared based on the shortest amount of time it takes a player to reach the first crate, which represents the point where the developers ran out of ideas."
http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/39.html
http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/39.html
I pretty much wrote this same thing in my lengthy analysis of Bioshock 2 on my website, only going even further to missed opportunities. This is a game where the MacGuffin of Eleanor Lamb is intended to tug on you emotionally. However, there's not attachment to her for the most part. She's a pretty empty vessel and thus that whole "father/daughter" relationship deal doesn't create a real impact on the player.
That opening intro could have provided moments to not only give young Eleanor Lamb some depth, but created an emotional bond. Now, I've always said most gamers aren't going to give a toss about emotion, and I stick by it. Peter Molyneux could have done everything in his power to make you love the dog in Fable 2, but the first thing gamers are going to try is taking a Claymore to its cerebral cortex. Because gamers are dicks and love breaking games.
But for everyone else, having Eleanor trying to get you to crouch because she has a secret to tell you, and then whispering something like "I love you" or "I hear an angel!" or something arbitrary, it makes her feel like a kid. Despite her appearance and her grotesque task, it would have given you a memory to latch onto as you go through each level searching for her. It would also make you curious as to how she turned out as a teenager.
Unfortunately, what we got was a decent cut-scene, but no emotion to it. It was, honestly, pretty lame.
That opening intro could have provided moments to not only give young Eleanor Lamb some depth, but created an emotional bond. Now, I've always said most gamers aren't going to give a toss about emotion, and I stick by it. Peter Molyneux could have done everything in his power to make you love the dog in Fable 2, but the first thing gamers are going to try is taking a Claymore to its cerebral cortex. Because gamers are dicks and love breaking games.
But for everyone else, having Eleanor trying to get you to crouch because she has a secret to tell you, and then whispering something like "I love you" or "I hear an angel!" or something arbitrary, it makes her feel like a kid. Despite her appearance and her grotesque task, it would have given you a memory to latch onto as you go through each level searching for her. It would also make you curious as to how she turned out as a teenager.
Unfortunately, what we got was a decent cut-scene, but no emotion to it. It was, honestly, pretty lame.
They could make an optional intro or something. Giving you the freedom to explore the early days of Rapture for as long as you feel like it, while tutorials come up in certain places to teach you what's what. They could throw in some kind of 'skip' button if you've already played the game, giving you an option that immediately advances the story.Rocketboy13 said:
Why does the plot to FSG:TG already sound better than most big budget games? I mean, idolize technology so they have ships shaped like the wheel? There some symbolism shit going on there.
interesting point of view as always.
I rather enjoy reading about the game creation process from an independent creator.
I read such writings from mainstream game creators and they are usually about how they are using the latest hyper-x super physics deluxe engine with the giant grape shading systems to enhance your game play.
I rather enjoy reading about the game creation process from an independent creator.
I read such writings from mainstream game creators and they are usually about how they are using the latest hyper-x super physics deluxe engine with the giant grape shading systems to enhance your game play.
Honestly, I'm not surprised that Bioshock 1 would be considered the best opening... after all, these are the same people who wrote the opening sequence to System Shock 2 (/my/ vote for greatest opening ever).
You wake up, the world is going to hell around you, some weirdo is talking in your ear, telling you that you'll be sucked into the vaccum of space in a few seconds if you don't act now... the tension was brutal! And before you even know it, you've learned the game's basics from start to finish, without really noticing that you're going through a tutorial.
You wake up, the world is going to hell around you, some weirdo is talking in your ear, telling you that you'll be sucked into the vaccum of space in a few seconds if you don't act now... the tension was brutal! And before you even know it, you've learned the game's basics from start to finish, without really noticing that you're going through a tutorial.
Huh, didn't know you jumped out of high school. Oh well, you learn new stuff everyday. And I agree on most parts. Although I did like the intro to Bioshock 2.
And I'm looking forward to hear more about FSG:TG. Sounds like a good concept. Just don't make it so you end up finding some sort of doomsday device to control the universe that everyone wants. Feels a bit cliché.
And I'm looking forward to hear more about FSG:TG. Sounds like a good concept. Just don't make it so you end up finding some sort of doomsday device to control the universe that everyone wants. Feels a bit cliché.
FSG sounds intriguing. In many ways, the Wheel could be utilized like the Flotilla (Mass Effect) or Armada (from China Miéville's The Scar). Their 'Wheel' is a vast collection of scavenged ships joined together to form one cohesive world. They go around, goggling up new technologies in honor of their technocractic religion. A lot of potential there.
Yes.Yahtzee Croshaw said:
A simple act, loaded with meaning. Forcing the player to do what they don't want to mirrors the horrific effects that the character is going through.
I think when 2K was developing Bioshock 2, they yanked out the guts of Bioshock 1 trying to figure out what made that game so special. The answer they came up with (the setting) isn't the entirety of the answer, which is kind of disappointing.
Oh well, nothing entirely unexpected.
The Xtra Punct. reminded me a lot of Half Life-style storytelling, experience as much as you like and as little as you absolutely have to.
About FSG: TG, it really begins to sound promising. Especially since storytelling is something you could definitely build on, bearing in mind that your programming skills propably don't exceed those of the regular 20th century fuck.
Also, get yourself some voice actors. Having to read out the dialogues myself really does nothing for... immersion.
I like the idea about the 'Wheel' faction and how the protagonist gets caught up in things right away. Keep it going. Don't get bored.
About FSG: TG, it really begins to sound promising. Especially since storytelling is something you could definitely build on, bearing in mind that your programming skills propably don't exceed those of the regular 20th century fuck.
Also, get yourself some voice actors. Having to read out the dialogues myself really does nothing for... immersion.
I like the idea about the 'Wheel' faction and how the protagonist gets caught up in things right away. Keep it going. Don't get bored.
If you like interactivity, I dread the day you have to play FFXIII, since that game seems to be breaking new ground in no player control. Then again, Yahtzee, you just hate J-RPGs anyway, so at least you'll get you bargained for.
Very true about the intros of BS1 and 2. When my head broke the surface of the water in BS1 I didn't even realise I was in control. Took me a few moments of going "hmm what now?" to decide to hit the joystick which shocked me when the camera moved. The entire treck down was impressive. I love the idea of how BS2 could have opened. That would have been killer. Too bad they were worried more with the combat and less on the narrative (although I really loved the gameplay of BS2).
Also, FSG:TG sounds like it's coming along nicely. I'm wondering if you're just leading us all on here, Yahtzee, but it'll be interesting if you ever let us see it.
Also, FSG:TG sounds like it's coming along nicely. I'm wondering if you're just leading us all on here, Yahtzee, but it'll be interesting if you ever let us see it.
Yahtzee,Yahtzee Croshaw said:
I fear you will not read this, but man could i save you a hell of a lot of time....
Basically i have a much easier way for you to complete that space game your making
I think i get what your after so here goes,
ok, first hire out a large empty warehouse. Next get about 15 or so people blindfolded and a sack of rocks for each person. Then get yourself some bins and fill them with stuff, some valuable stuff and some worthless, spread them out across the warehouse. Finally make yourself a space suit and bring a tennis racket and a torch and your ready to go.
The controls are simple, you use your legs (rocket propellers) to explore the dark warehouse (space) the faster you move them the faster you go. You use the left arm for the torch (spaceship laser probe) to A)see incoming rocks (asteroids) randomly thrown at you by the blindfolded people and to B)search the bins (planets) for valuable resources. The right arm has two functions firstly to use the tennis racket (deflector beam) to repel the incoming rocks (asteroids) and secondly to reach down (tractor beam) into the bins (planets) to collect the valuable material posing an interesting dilemma that you can't rummage through the bins (explore a planet) and deflect the rocks (asteroids) at the same time.
Now that's immersion and interactivity taken to the greatest scale you may even forget you're still on earth!!
Of course you could then make it more complex and have other people (spaceships) in the warehouse to or even teams, make leader boards for most bins (planets) searched or rocks (asteroids) deflected. You could not give some people tennis rackets (defense beams) but better torches (space ship laser probes) and you could either ally yourself with them and be good helping them by using your tennis racket (defense beam) to escort them to safety or attack them and steal what they have for youself. Now you've got yourself a morality system!!
You could add a backpack (storage deck) to store your items in, now you have an inventory system. Even get another person to stand at a table (space station) where you can exchange the things you've collected in your back pack (storage deck) for upgrades like bigger backpacks (storage decks) or better tennis rackets (deflector beams) and there you have an RPG!
You could even charge people to come to "Yahtzee's space game the game" and be fellow explorers in your warehouse (universe) with you and they could go about doing these things as well, now you've made yourself a MMOG!!
Ahh the possibilities are endless, don't worry about royalties this ones on me.
It's just a shame you'll never read this and waste all that time sat at you're computer.....