Poll: Elevators or loading screens? Poll.

[OldNewNewOld]

Elevators.
For all the reasons already stated in the topic.
And the best think about the long one in ME 1 is that you got the feeling that The Citadel was HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I liked the feeling. And the conversation between members were usually funny and interesting.

But "elevators" can't be placed in every game. For example strategy games (SC2). I can't think of anything that would be interesting and wouldn't break the game flow. And since it will break the flow, isn't it simpler to make it shorter by focusing on loading instead of mini-games?

Red Steal 2 was a great attempt, but Wii's power (or was it due the loading form a disk?) wasn't enought to load it faster, so the endless opening of 1 door was annoying (although still better then loading, pls wait).

 

[MindBullets]

Both are fine, as long as there's also something to keep you interested. Like the memory snippets in Amnesia: The Dark Decent.

 

[DRSH1989]

MOAR ELEVEITORZ PLZ! I liked both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 1's loading styles though... but ME1's were more immersive.

 

[_Janny_]

I prefer loading screens.

Elevators are frustratingly slow and you start to wish you could take the stairs

Ditto. The problem I have with elevators is that it creates the illusion of movement and I get antsy because I feel like I want to play already, not sit still in an elevator. If that makes any sense.

With a loading screen you know you have no other choice than to wait. Your gamer mind is already used to waiting when a loading screen pops up.

 

[de5gravity]

Loved the elevators in Mirror's Edge. Hate the elevator + loading screen combo of Portal 2. Seriously why are there so many loading screens!

 

[Nemesha]

Elevators can work, if they fit the scenario. I have no problems with loading screens though, I have a solid computer so it takes mere seconds anyway (granted I find them highly annoying on my PS3). There are games which do well with their loading screens. Giving backstory and such which is very enjoyable. Vamp. the masquarade bloodlines did this very well, making it an enjoyable pasttime. Other games show tips&tricks which get stale very quickly if you have a lot of loading time and only a small number of tips.

 

[Daveman]

This bugged me in Portal 2 because in the original the lift was fairly plain and they had no loading screen, just the inside of the lift. You couldn't move for a little while but I thought it was much better. Although I like the glass lifts in the sequel the loading screens sort of break up the wonderful flow the first game had.

 

[Ed James]

Well it's a valve game, think about it, HL and portal have a loading screen every 100 steps :S

portal 2 was just different by not having the freeze screen carry-over-thing while it loaded, In my opinion, it let me reflect upon the things I just heard, as normally (in the case of portal 2) there's a witty comment or two that made the game such a joy

 

[alfawx]

I suppose I would say other, since I'm a fan of in-game loading that doesn't involve standing there, i.e. those vent things in Dead Space 2 or something of the type. I would argue that elevators may actually break the immersion more than loading screens; half the time I just leave the room and come back with food or something if an elevator takes too long, while loading screens allow me to see how approximately much time I have left.

 

[Wutaiflea]

This might sound a bit odd, but to me, no matter how you dress it up, loading is loading. You can always tell that's loading and not a part of the gameplay by virtue of everything having to stop for a minute for it to do it's thing.

I appreciate it when people get creative and try to jazz up their loading screens a bit by having things like unfeasibly long elevator scenes and wotnot, but really, it's irrelevant to me because it still just feels like loading, and I'm still just as likely to make a coffee/get a beer/go for a pee while Shepard stands around in a lift as I would be if it was a gaudy screen with tips on it.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Well if the elevator is fitting, then use it. It maintains the flow of the game far better than a loading screen can, but they aren't perfect mind you. A loading screen can entirely ruin the immersion of the game, as can an ill placed elevator or one that takes too long. The key is not having long load times.

 

[DarkZero45]

I prefer the loading screens when they have the loading bar like in Crysis 2 because the elevator in Mass effect just annoyed me so much because they tried to hide a loading screen.

 

[ChupathingyX]

I would say no loading at all.

It's been done before so it can't be impossible.

 

[Sun Flash]

I remember a PS2 racing game which had a game of pong as a loading screen. Me and my fried spent a whole afternoon playing that game without even touching a car.

 

[Thundero13]

I like the p0rtal 1 system of doing it, just freeze the screen, that way while you're not technically "in" the game the whole time, it's still as if its a constantly continuing game since the loading screens don't cut away to pictures of atlas & P-body running or showing their mechanics or having them wave to eachother, because that would just be stupid.

 

[Prince Regent]

In most cases I prefer elevators, I hated the ones in Mass Effect though.

 

[Lord Burn]

Screw either. I want polls. Space polls that can go up or down. Make the clothing ruffle from the air too.

 

[Sethzard]

Mostly lifts if they have something funny, but loading screens can have funny bits too, so if it needs to be a loading screen then I want comedy and a progress bar so I know if it freezes.

 

[irani_che]

Portal 2 has loading screens that got real old real fast, occasionally they were cute though
Games like VTM Bloodlines used them to help fill in the backstory
or Bioshock did with the quotes

 

[Therumancer]

I personally liked Bayonetta's approach where you could practice combos while waiting for the game to load. I suppose it's hard to do right given the reason WHY games are loading to begin with, but I think a relevent mini-game or something is actually not a bad idea.