Poll: The Immersion Factor

[velcrokidneyz]

So let me preface this by saying that i love to get lost inside a game world.

I see a lot of ppl picking on little things in games for "breaking the immersion". Yes i understand that soem people get into their characters in RPG's and just get absorbed, but i tend to be aware that i am playing a game and little things such as breaking the 4th wall or maybe checking inventory in RPGs dont bother me. Everyone seems to complain about it but it doesnt seem to bother me. I know i am palying a game and enjoy it. If a game is good, its good, immersion or no.

Just wondering on your guys thoughts about it. Like i said, i understand why people like it and it happens to me but it doesnt bother me if it isnt completely immersive, it goes for any game rly but moreso with RPGs.

 

[KalosCast]

For me, at least, "Immersion Factor" is just how well it hides being a game. If I'm providing cover-fire for my allies as they advance up a hill to take out an enemy gun emplacement, that's good. If I'm pointing my damage cone at the opposing damage-cones until the objective marker goes "ding" that's bad.

If you're not aware you're playing a game, you probably want to seek psychiatric help immediately, Immersion to me just means that I'm thinking about things in reference to the game world, instead of just numbers and mechanics.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

A game is at it's most immersive (at least for me) when I'm the one making decisions for my character, such as in Fallout, Mass Effect etc.

Games like Uncharted 2, while absolutely stunning visually, make the player an observer, like a movie. still immersive, just not as much.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

I get into the mindset of someone observing that world through an invisible magic window, so to speak.

If i really get into it, I don't really seem to acknowledge that it's a game. I view it as stuff that's happening that I can influence, but never in the 'i must make this character do this' frame of mind.

fuck i sound insane...but i can't think of how best to describe my level of immersion

to be honest, the best sign that i'm immersed in a game is when i finally decide to stop playing only to realise that my relatives think i'm dead, i've grown a weeks-worth of beard (minor stubble for me, basically) and the calendars have all moved forward 7 days.

 

[GiantRaven]

I'm going to come right out and state this and damned if I sound like an opinionated fool. Any game that fails on an immersive level is bad.

 

[KalosCast]

I'm going to come right out and state this and damned if I sound like an opinionated fool. Any game that fails on an immersive level is bad.

Eh, not really. DotA and Chess are two great examples of games that are fun without being immersive. Games without depth are bad, and story-driven games usually express their depth in the narrative and world-building, which in turn makes them immersive... and story-driven games are the majority of games.

 

[Andrew_Waltfeld]

I agree - it depends on the games. If it's meant to be immersion, then it should be.

 

[GiantRaven]

I'm going to come right out and state this and damned if I sound like an opinionated fool. Any game that fails on an immersive level is bad.

Eh, not really. DotA and Chess are two great examples of games that are fun without being immersive. Games without depth are bad, and story-driven games usually express their depth in the narrative and world-building, which in turn makes them immersive... and story-driven games are the majority of games.

I would describe Chess as immersive. You can get completely lost in the rules and possible moves in the game.

 

[gameoni]

about every other year there is one game that will stop my social life and mess with my sleep till i am breathing the game. ones that have done this to me in the past are tetris, conker's BFD, metal gear sold 1&3, psychonauts and most recently Batman: Arkham. I will play and repay these game over and over beating them on their hardest setting and doing things like getting all the dogtags in MGS2

 

[KalosCast]

I would describe Chess as immersive. You can get completely lost in the rules and possible moves in the game.

You're getting lost in rules, not atmosphere, storytelling, and other narrative mechanics... that's not immersion (at least, how the term is generally used).

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Yes i understand that soem people get into their characters in RPG's and just get absorbed, but i tend to be aware that i am playing a game and little things such as breaking the 4th wall or maybe checking inventory in RPGs dont bother me. Everyone seems to complain about it but it doesnt seem to bother me. I know i am palying a game and enjoy it. If a game is good, its good, immersion or no.

Why do people complain about the inventory screen breaking immersion? If I'm running around the city, or whereever, I can stop for a moment and look in my bag. A game with no inventory screen (but that tracks items) always breaks me out of the experience more because I have to keep track of things some other way (pen and paper, sometimes) which REALLY breaks me out of the game.

 

[TehCookie]

I get into the mindset of someone observing that world through an invisible magic window, so to speak.

If i really get into it, I don't really seem to acknowledge that it's a game. I view it as stuff that's happening that I can influence, but never in the 'i must make this character do this' frame of mind.

fuck i sound insane...but i can't think of how best to describe my level of immersion

to be honest, the best sign that i'm immersed in a game is when i finally decide to stop playing only to realise that my relatives think i'm dead, i've grown a weeks-worth of beard (minor stubble for me, basically) and the calendars have all moved forward 7 days.

Crap I could understand that perfectly, does that mean I'm insane too?

My immersion is weird, when I'm immersed in the game I feel like I'm part of the characters psyche, like the little fairy that sits on their shoulders and tell them to do things, but not the actual character.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

I get into the mindset of someone observing that world through an invisible magic window, so to speak.

If i really get into it, I don't really seem to acknowledge that it's a game. I view it as stuff that's happening that I can influence, but never in the 'i must make this character do this' frame of mind.

fuck i sound insane...but i can't think of how best to describe my level of immersion

to be honest, the best sign that i'm immersed in a game is when i finally decide to stop playing only to realise that my relatives think i'm dead, i've grown a weeks-worth of beard (minor stubble for me, basically) and the calendars have all moved forward 7 days.

Crap I could understand that perfectly, does that mean I'm insane too?

My immersion is weird, when I'm immersed in the game I feel like I'm part of the characters psyche, like the little fairy that sits on their shoulders and tell them to do things, but not the actual character.

That is exactly it! I'm like their inner voice. That little imaginary angel or devil that poofs into existence on their shoulder like in the cartoons.

 

[velcrokidneyz]

Why do people complain about the inventory screen breaking immersion? If I'm running around the city, or whereever, I can stop for a moment and look in my bag. A game with no inventory screen (but that tracks items) always breaks me out of the experience more because I have to keep track of things some other way (pen and paper, sometimes) which REALLY breaks me out of the game.

the reason i say the inventory, which is what sparked this topic for me, is that someone on another forum was saying how mass effect 1 had you checking inventory for the latest guns or armor adn that broke their immersion.

 

[velcrokidneyz]

If you're not aware you're playing a game, you probably want to seek psychiatric help immediately, Immersion to me just means that I'm thinking about things in reference to the game world, instead of just numbers and mechanics.

It isnt necessarily that literally become the character or are unaware of real life totally, (although in certain cases such a WoW it seems taht way) just that you become invested and take the actions you do seriously and have a real connection to what your digital avatar is doing.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

the reason i say the inventory, which is what sparked this topic for me, is that someone on another forum was saying how mass effect 1 had you checking inventory for the latest guns or armor adn that broke their immersion.

Oh. Huh. I can see that item management would be a distraction from game play, but I don't really see it as breaking immersion. Well, other than, in real life, there aren't item stats.

Having not played Mass Effect 1, I can't comment on how much of a distraction the item system is. The inventory system in Dragon Age never bothered me though.

I still don't see the break in immersion. I find it more of a break in immersion to not be able to look in my character's pockets. Are people using "break in immersion" as a fancy way of saying "boring"? Cause I can see people thinking that inventory management is boring (not me, but others), but I just don't see "unrealistic". Well, unless you're concerned with how many suits of armor you have stuffed in your backpack, but again, I'd rather have more room for stuff in my inventory than less.

 

[GiantRaven]

I would describe Chess as immersive. You can get completely lost in the rules and possible moves in the game.

You're getting lost in rules, not atmosphere, storytelling, and other narrative mechanics... that's not immersion (at least, how the term is generally used).

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/immersion

3. state of being deeply engaged or involved; absorption.

I fail to see how becoming absorbed in the possible moves, planning and thinking ahead in chess isn't immersion.

 

[Warachia]

well this argument i flawed because you can get immersed in several ways, gameplay, story, character, rules, cinematics, all of which are immersion and subjective to each person, which people in the comments can't seem to get.

 

[Reaver3]

it honestly depends on the game, or the person... just my point of view

 

[GeorgW]

I love being immersed into the game, and I kind of force it onto myself. It takes a lot to break my immersion. And that goes for any game, no matter how bad or unfitting it is.