'Realism'?

[Jim Grim]

(Hopefully search bar approved.)

This is a thread about so called 'realism' in games. I don't think there are as many realistic games as people think there are. Why do game developers and consumers alike seem to think that duller graphics and a more restrained storyline = realism? I've heard MW2 being put down for not including the same level of realism as it's predecessor. Now I'm no expert, but CoD4 didn't strike me as being realistic. The storyline was just as fantastical as MW2's, it was just told in a more subtle manner. (For the record I don't think 4 people on a bridge could hold off truckload after truckload of soldiers for that long.)

Another example is GTA IV. The series is still as unrealistic as it's ever been, it's just that the fun and crazy parts have been isolated and compressed to the size of pinheads. Why do we accept this bullshitty 'realism' at expense of fun and interesting gameplay mechanics?

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I personally find your thread to be rather confusing. You seem to jump all over without really concreting your thesis. All games are unrealistic.

 

[FallenJellyDoughnut]

Because it is fun to see people die horribly at the wheel of my car, without the stupid spazzing of ragdolls or the unsatasfying scripted flattening.

 

[Jandau]

Not search bar approved, there was a thread like this a few days ago.

People enjoy realism because it makes it more immersive. Also, if a game is set in a real-world setting, popping mushrooms for bonus lives and such just feels out of place. Of course, there is such a thing as too realistic, but just saying that anything should go just because there might be some "interesting gameplay mechanics" is just a retarded generalization.

What's that supposed to mean? "Interesting gameplay mechanics?" I've heard it (and simmilar versions) before, but nobody ever explained the term. Why can't realistic gameplay mechanics be interesting? It seems to me that some people rage against "realism" for no apparent reason, other than invented and vague principles...

 

[Cherry Cola]

To answer your question: Because some people think it's fun!

 

[Xorghul]

They're not supposed to be "realistic". We play games because(at least one of the reasons) we want to do things we can't do in real life. At least I do. Because if I could kill hundreds of monsters in just a few days while carrying around a couple of tons worth of loot and not sleeping or taking a shit even once, you can be damn sure I fucking would!

 

[Arachon]

Just... Wait for RAKtheUndead to show up, it'll all be clear after that.

 

[MasterMongoose0]

For me, CoD4 put you into the soldier's boots a lot more. I was immersed in the game because I didn't feel like James Bond (as is the case with MW2).

MW2 has some amazing levels, but they just don't feel like Call of Duty to me. I'm just wondering where Treyarch can go from here for their biannual game release (I HATED WaW and CoD3)

 

[captain wow]

I hate the way people call the CoD/Modern Warefare games realistic, its ridiculous. As much as i love the games i think the regenerating health system is preposterous! When you get blasted in the chest with a shotgun in real life you cant just hide behind a wall until the blood drains outta your eyeballs and be fine again! At least a game with a medikit health restoring system acknowledges the fact that you'd need medical attention.

 

[Knight of Cydonia]

Saints row 2 is VERY unrealistlic, considering with all the upgrades you are:
practically bullet proof
able to sprint forever and
...can't think of anything else

 

[Calhoun347]

Well, To tell you the truth, if a game had really real realism. Well son, you'd be playin' life.

To that end, games aren't meant to be realistic. Games can be challenging, have realistic elements. But a perfectly realistic game would suck. Take, for example, STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl. You have an HP system, however your not very bullet resistant. Consequently, you can die quite fast if shot a few times. There is also a bleeding system, whereby you lose more health after being shot or hurt. This helps suit the atmosphere of the game. and creates a large amount of challenge. However, the games premise is entirely unrealistic, but those realism elements suit it.

Basically, you need a blend, if a realism element suits your game, use it. If not, chuck it.

CoD4 was still unrealistic, regenerative health makes 0 sense. Not with bullet wounds anyways. Personally i prefer systems where you need to locate health packs, Regenerative health is really annoying.

 

[Katana314]

Immersion and realism are often much farther apart than people believe. Something like having to slowly bandage up my character's leg after being shot isn't immersion; that's just realism. Immersion is the immediate feeling of being there, often achieved with, say, other characters talking to you, reacting to your actions, and such.

Here's another example. Let's say you go up to a vehicle and press E. Your character teleports to the driver seat and the camera shifts back. That's not really immersive. Next, you go up to a vehicle and press E, and you see a 1.5-second animation of your character getting in, in first-person. Then you're driving. Is that immersive? In my opinion, also no. Both have the same input-output. You press E, and then you're inside the car. I didn't press "Open door" then "move inside car" then "sit down", I just pressed "Use Car". (not that I want any game to have control mappings as weird as that)

Having just the right level of realism often depends on a bit of fridge logic, where people don't think it's un-immersive until well after they've finished playing. COD4 sort of feels like that; people make fun of Wolverine-health in comics and such, but much less often while they're playing.

 

[Kollega]

You want my opinion? So-called "realism" in games (as in, brown graphics with gritty storyline) sucks big fat arse on a rollerskates. I'll take Team Fortress 2 over Modern Warfare 2, Saints Row 2 over GTA4, or Ratchet & Clank over Bionic Commando (the remake, duh) any day, any time. Game developers can take their grimdark and stick it where the sun dosen't shine.

I hate the way people call the CoD/Modern Warefare games realistic, its ridiculous. As much as i love the games i think the regenerating health system is preposterous! When you get blasted in the chest with a shotgun in real life you cant just hide behind a wall until the blood drains outta your eyeballs and be fine again! At least a game with a medikit health restoring system acknowledges the fact that you'd need medical attention.

Seconded. CoD is as far from realism as my arse is from a dark side of Europa. It's not a military sim like ArmA II or something.

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

Now I'm no expert, but CoD4 didn't strike me as being realistic.

Usually when people refer to COD as "realistic", they're comparing it to 90% of the other shooters out there. IE Halo, GoW, Killzone, etc.

 

[YoUnG205]

Games do not have to be realistic nor should they be. that is why it is a game made so that people can escape reality. Oh! how i long for a game that just drops all realism.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Because it's hard to make a game realistic and yet entertaining. Hell if games were realistic, John would have died in Russia and when playing CoD or MW you'd have to stop after every hit you take and patch yourself up.

 

[hotdogoctopus]

The First game I want to play is 'unknown, underpaid, miserable, office hero' now with copier that doesn't work.

 

[Arachon]

The First game I want to play is 'unknown, underpaid, miserable, office hero' now with copier that doesn't work.

Hey... For that' there's always Harry the Handsome Executive [http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/harry/]. Probably won't run on your system though.

 

[hotdogoctopus]

The First game I want to play is 'unknown, underpaid, miserable, office hero' now with copier that doesn't work.

Hey... For that' there's always Harry the Handsome Executive [http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/harry/]. Probably won't run on your system though.

Well played sir, well played.

 

[minidevil921]

Let's put it this way i always play saints row 2... with cheats