What does gaming need?

[Daniel Kay]

Some things about gaming annoy me lateley, simple elements that don't seem to important but can add greatly to the games experience often seem to be ignored or done off as unnecessary

One thing i have in mind is "adequate gore"... now i don't mean extreme gibs, blowing off heads with a shotgun and blood-fireworks but for exampe it always annoys me to see an enemy in a game getting hit by a explosive and the body afterwards show no sign of beeing hit, no burns, no blood, no dismemberment, nothing... all that happens is they fly through the air ragdoll like and don't move anymore... hell in some cases you can't even be sure the enemy isn't just knocked out
this got to me when i saw a video of "blacksite" quite a while back, a alien gets hit by a explosion and just peacefully sails sideways before collapsing to a pile (whicheven looked a bit like slow motion)... after such a close hit one of those spiny limbs should have come off or at least show shrapnell wounds all over (hell they DO make them for bullet impacts after all)... having a BIT of gore is ok, it doesn't have to be on Doom level
Same really goes for flame throwers as many don't seem to actually burn the target anymore (as in leave the body charred) but just "set aflame till they collapse"

Another thing is "safe anywhere" vs. "safe points"... i AM aware that some games do require safe points for the atmosphere but hell a lot of games that could profit from a safe anywhere feature simply don't have one... what would be nice but hard to make real is a function to allow you to PAUSE-QUIT a game at any point safing the current moment so you can quit the game and pick it up at that point (i think the PSP actually has a function like that)

Well i can't think of any more as it's almost 6 am right now but what do oyu think are things gaming needs?

EDIT: Small additions now that i'm a bit more awake:
Some sort of destructable environment... well chances there are pretty good, it doesnt have to be "dig a tunnel through a mountain" "red faction" like but just things like "i hit that wall with a grenade, now it at least has a crater in it"... F.E.A.R. actually did pretty well there, after a intense gunfight the walls and furniture actually looked like after a intense gunfight

I know we probably wont get around the annoyance of escort missions anytime fast as developers seem to see them as necessary... but if they do at leeeaaast they should give us the ability to give commands to the one following us and have them act a bit smarter... a good example is in Oblivion when i had to guide Farwill in the Cheydinhall gate... how i WISHED for a option to tell him "STOP" or "wait here... and don't DARE to move unless i tell you to" instead of watching him constantly getting slaughterd or LEAP AFTER AN ENEMY FALLING INTO THE LAVA... give.us.command.options!

So I'll quickly recap my "demands"
-Adequate gore
-Ability to do a quit-safe
-Destructable/damageable environments (looking good there actually)
-Beeing able to give commands if you have to play an escort mission

 

[Kajet]

Fun and innovation, sure some high profile modern titles may be fun, but seem as cookie cutter as their predecessors (I'm looking at you Halo, GTA, and MGS)

And while some games are absurdly innovative that they can hardly be called games but sound as fun as leaf raking. (sound like WiiFit much?)

 

[WhiteHowl]

Good storyline
Adequate Difficulty
Decent Graphics
Playback Value
Playability in general
Focused game style (RPGs should be RPGs not FPS, TPS should be TSP not fighter)

and as an added bonus some level of originality.

 

[Lukealyke]

So I'll quickly recap my "demands"
-Adequate gore
-Ability to do a quit-safe
-Destructable/damageable environments (looking good there actually)
-Beeing able to give commands if you have to play an escort mission

Check out Battlefield: Bad Company. They have what you're looking for.

EDIT: Oh, right, the actual purpose of the topic.

Basically, I like games that are innovative. When I can play a game in a new or intuitive way, I tend to like it more. Then again, I like semi-rehashes if they invoke nostalgia.

 

[Hybrid Project Alpha]

Fun.

 

[Lukar]

- Fun
- Action
- Local multiplay as fun as online gaming (and vice-versa)

 

[Kaejer]

WTB periods /grammarnazioff

Ok, well one thing that I saw that actually exists in a game, is Diablo 3's environment. That's one of my favorite things about the gameplay trailer, because it looks sooooo good! Obviously it has more than just that, but it's really kool and definitely has the adequate gore kinda thing you're looking for (though I dunno if you're into that kinda game).

Eventually the day will come when there are games that can handle all of that kind of graphics and stuff without being way too hard to be worth it. Although, the companies might want to tone down violence to a minimum to allow it to stay PG-13 so more people will buy it.

As for what I think gaming needs, it's in two different categories:

RPGs - Leveless system, at least 100 hour storyline, classes/jobs, new game plus mode, and replay value in new game plus.

FPSs - At this point in time, I basically require my FPS games to be online or I don't play them. Since each FPS rarely has really difficult things to play, I prefer to have really good graphics to compensate and physics.

 

[Claudia_Vial]

Gaming in all it's glory needs realisim. Needs to come a bit closer to reality and stop worrying if the graphics are fancy enough to please those with asperger syndrome. Even though that's 90% of gaming fanboys out there today. gaming really needs someone to kick the 'big' corporations in the arse and have them stop pumping out mediocrity such as the halo series or 'big guy in jeans killing everything' type games and start worrying about if their storyline, control scheme, weapons, or any of those things are any good.

I also feel that more strategy and puzzle games are needed to actually advance the gaming era. Not puzzle games like say tetris but more like the divine brilliance that was and still is 'portal' and more strategy like the awesome 'homeworld' series or an even better relic gem 'company of heroes'. In short gaming needs what the fandom here needs, some backbone and a good kick up the arse to see what a drunken, messy, twat it's become and maybe the desire to clean itself up and start doing Shakespeare again.

 

[psion]

I have a few thoughts about the subject and I kind of agree with what a few people have already said. But one thing I see no one has mentioned yet are fanboys, although to be honest that's a thread and a half right there.

RPGs: Move away from fantasy and show you actually have the capablities to design a decent science-fiction setting. It doesn't have to be particular original, many sci-fi novels from the eighties borrowed many basic trappings from each other and still managed to be fairly entertaining.

FPS: Can we abandon the "space marine" cliche? It worked well for three games, Doom, Quake, and Halo, but not so much for the rest of the genre. Going to stepping into the boots of a reluctant hero (like the dude that's being designed for Dead Space) will be a nice change, both in weapon choices (why would a regular Joe know how to fire a rocket launcher?) and story design.

RTS: I don't know... Dawn of War II promises to have a lot of interesting innovations I hope pay off. The gradual move towards diverse sides and units (Starcraft 1 & 2) as well as the new trend in making some units multifunctional (Red Alert 3, Maelstrom, and Universe at War) are definitely something worth watching.

 

[Wontoon Kangaroo]

Gaming needs only one thing: Fun.

The shiniest, most realistic graphics won't matter if you don't enjoy the game.

 

[lupinealchemist]

Rpgs where you puke when taking poison damage.

 

[Anonymous1157]

Gaming needs only one thing: Fun.

The shiniest, most realistic graphics won't matter if you don't enjoy the game.

Exactly. Good gameplay is what sets games apart. I installed Windows 98 on my laptop just to play DOS games.

Of course, once you have a game that people will truly love playing, it doesn't hurt to make it look good.

 

[Ceceil Felias]

The platformer genre needs a serious revival, in my opinion.

 

[Azure]

Gaming needs gamers to unite and burn down EA's corporate HQ. Then all will be well.

 

[Wontoon Kangaroo]

Gaming needs gamers to unite and burn down EA's corporate HQ. Then all will be well.

Oh come on. The company that really deserves that honor is Data Design Interactive/Conspiracy Entertainment. For games (shovelware) like this.

Not even EA is as low as those guys. Which is saying a lot!

 

[Runefox]

Mm... Well, I think a lot of developers could look to past games for examples of what makes a good game. Take X-Com: UFO Defense (alternate title UFO: Enemy Unknown) for example.

An old DOS game originally designed for the 386 processor, later ported to Windows 95, published by Microprose (now Hasbro Interactive). It was a turn-based tactical strategy game that had you build bases all around the world, detecting and shooting down enemy UFO's, launching teams to deal with downed UFO's and attacks on major cities in some relatively realistic squad-based combat, researching new weapons and vehicles, performing autopsies, receiving a yearly budget from a group of nations that can be lost over time, buying and building weapons and armour, recruiting and equipping your soldiers, having them gradually increase in skill over time and even require time to recover when wounded. Soldiers can go unconscious by smoke inhalation, can lose morale based on the progress of the skirmish and snap, and even psionics can be used by both your soldiers and the enemy to wreak havoc on morale. The environments were totally destructable, and it's just generally awesome. I recommend giving it a try; It's not too expensive to buy online, and PC Gamer actually had a free version on one of its CD's a few years back.

We're only now starting to see some of those gameplay elements coming back into the gaming world.

 

[psion]

I forgot about the X-Com games, thanks Runefox. On the same token, ALTAR games has been doing a good job reviving the X-Com genre with their UFO series. This is also the company that made Original War, a wonky RTS with interesting RPG elements and a story that while is campy, gets you hoping for a sequel by the end.

And one more suggestion on the future of RTS games: Slow the hell DOWN! Some of these new RTS games (C&C 3, I'm looking at you) have a steep difficulty until you get the pacing down. Also, some gamers may like the fast pace that lets RTS gamers join this new cyberathlete shit (my opinions on that are also for another thread,) but I find the short battles to be fairly unsatisfying. Where's the sport? Where's the thrill of an hour long game spent with epic battles fighting for every inch of ground. Ten minutes with the GDI and I either have to perform my victory dance or am completely and utterly owned.

 

[Runefox]

The UFO games were exceptional. I loved the first, but I never got the chance to play the others yet. I'm more a fan of the post-apocalyptic vibe I got from the first one than what takes place in the others, myself. Having to research what's going on after some huge event wipes out everything with only a few survivors taking what they can from cities and army bases to combat the unknown menace. That's a really cool premise, and the air combat was done pretty well, too, even if it's just movies. My only gripe is that friendly AI isn't exactly all there, and pathfinding can be a chore, having to pause to specifically map a route to take for them so that they don't get stuck on a wall. I do like the blend between real-time and turn-based strategy, but at times it can be a little too slow, given the large area you normally have to traverse in a level. Also didn't like the voice acting, but that's just me.

 

[DragonRift]

Well.... I can't really think of many things that gaming does need, but I sure as hell can think about a few things I'd like to see go away.

RPGs
- Remove the unnecessary amounts of excessive and pointless character customization. That includes being able to swap character classes which mimic the Job System from older FF titles. I personally find it more intriguing when each character has their own specific abilities and traits to build on, rather than being able to make them all the same superhuman fighters with the same amazing magical powers.

- Activities like monster-collecting, item-creation and cooking need to be less tedious, or not included at all. Nothing is more annoying than spending three to four hours battling it out or crawling through dungeons for one ingredient or creature...

- Less emphasis on dozens of little side-quests, and more focus on the main story. Multiple branching story paths would be much better, wouldn't you think?

- Remove mini-game havens... It sure as hell makes the game look silly when the band of heroes that are supposed to be out saving the world are too busy playing cards or gambling..... *coughs* or playing Blitzball.... ¬_¬

- Difficulty should either be gradual or steady. It really gets infuriating when the entire game's challenge is at a comfortable pace, only to encounter a boss that cripples you to the point where you're spending more time healing and reviving per turn than actually attacking. Usually occurs during the final battle, and the amount of damage you're able to deal is minimal at best.

Action Games in General
- AI that needs to be consistent. It doesn't necessarily have to be smarter, but when I see shit like enemies running into walls and trying to fire at you through them.... it makes you wonder if the programmers even cared.

- Boss fights need to be fun and exciting, and NOT irritating as hell to where you're screaming enough foul and unholy language to make Jesus himself appear out of thin air and kick you repeatedly in the teeth. Nothing destroys the fun of an action game more than getting stuck for 3 hours on a ridiculously hard boss that keeps mopping the floor with your ass. The whole "find the pattern!" gimmick is old and tired, and is starting to look worse than the "Wait until the monster exposes its glowing body part for you to mutilate with your weapon" trend. How about letting the player decide how to take them out for once?

- A little more realism in some games. Like, if I shoot someone in the head, it should KILL them! Not take a large chunk of health out. Or going back to the glowing weak points... Nothing made a game look more stupid than having the entire body be completely impervious to all forms of attacks (including explosives), except for that one tiny spot that the foe happens to conveniently reveal for you, as if he temporarily lost his will to live.

 

[Dyluck]

More (SAME CONSOLE) cooperative games.
Stories that don't suck/aren't obvious/make some fucking sense.
Flawless gameplay.
Immersion.

Fuck graphics.

 

[NerdyMunk]

Less shoot 'em ups and more RPG games, like Tools of Destruction.

 

[Dragon-Commando]

Gaming needs to stop rehashing the same ideas.

I'd like to se a realism based FPS where one shot kills you, one shot kills your enemy, and no matter what, aiming is always your job. No cone of fire, no aiming assistance. And lastly, bullets react how they do in real life, none of this 5.56 nato going through a block wall crap. I hate games that represent guns wrong, like somehow a deserteagle is the most powerfull weapon and can fire a whole mag on target, and yet my match grade .357 magnum revolver is shit. The desert eagle isn't even Magnum :/

 

[HiroJudgement]

Less shit.

 

[hillbilly guy]

i dont know i just want as mutch mindless violence as posible most games i have played just dont cut it eather you run out of bad guys to kill or you have to go do some thing else. i just want to kill every thing that moves and i dont want to have to find them

and better shotguns make them a little realistic call of duty 4 has the best shot gun so far but thay have speed loaders for shot guns so put them in the games

 

[psion]

Well.... I can't really think of many things that gaming does need, but I sure as hell can think about a few things I'd like to see go away.

RPGs
- Remove the unnecessary amounts of excessive and pointless character customization. That includes being able to swap character classes which mimic the Job System from older FF titles. I personally find it more intriguing when each character has their own specific abilities and traits to build on, rather than being able to make them all the same superhuman fighters with the same amazing magical powers.

- Activities like monster-collecting, item-creation and cooking need to be less tedious, or not included at all. Nothing is more annoying than spending three to four hours battling it out or crawling through dungeons for one ingredient or creature...

- Less emphasis on dozens of little side-quests, and more focus on the main story. Multiple branching story paths would be much better, wouldn't you think?

- Remove mini-game havens... It sure as hell makes the game look silly when the band of heroes that are supposed to be out saving the world are too busy playing cards or gambling..... *coughs* or playing Blitzball.... ¬_¬

- Difficulty should either be gradual or steady. It really gets infuriating when the entire game's challenge is at a comfortable pace, only to encounter a boss that cripples you to the point where you're spending more time healing and reviving per turn than actually attacking. Usually occurs during the final battle, and the amount of damage you're able to deal is minimal at best.

- I have to disagree, if anything there should be more character customization but limits as to how many directions you can go in one game. I have found characters set in stone to be fairly boring, a reason why I prefer Western RPGS over Eastern games. Even though "his" development moved along certain fixed paths, I still have the option to choose how I wanted my Commander Shepherd to be in Mass Effect.

- It depends on the game I imagine, although on the other side of the coin I'd like something a little more then "one click and you're done." If I'm going to have to make a detour, I want to feel like it's not some five minute piss break.

- I don't know, sometimes side quests can add to the story or serve as a nice break from the madness of the main quest. It all depends on how well they're written.

- Yeah, I have to agree that this is pretty pointless. The Elderscrolls had none of this nonsense and I often wonder how many people actually bothered getting Wakka's best weapon in FFX.

Action Games in General
- AI that needs to be consistent. It doesn't necessarily have to be smarter, but when I see shit like enemies running into walls and trying to fire at you through them.... it makes you wonder if the programmers even cared.

- Boss fights need to be fun and exciting, and NOT irritating as hell to where you're screaming enough foul and unholy language to make Jesus himself appear out of thin air and kick you repeatedly in the teeth. Nothing destroys the fun of an action game more than getting stuck for 3 hours on a ridiculously hard boss that keeps mopping the floor with your ass. The whole "find the pattern!" gimmick is old and tired, and is starting to look worse than the "Wait until the monster exposes its glowing body part for you to mutilate with your weapon" trend. How about letting the player decide how to take them out for once?

- A little more realism in some games. Like, if I shoot someone in the head, it should KILL them! Not take a large chunk of health out. Or going back to the glowing weak points... Nothing made a game look more stupid than having the entire body be completely impervious to all forms of attacks (including explosives), except for that one tiny spot that the foe happens to conveniently reveal for you, as if he temporarily lost his will to live.

- After suffering through the idiotic AI in Haze, I have to agree. It's especially painful when you see them run into your line of fire AFTER you pull the trigger on a enemy character.

- Uggh, this is why I play PC. For the most part we've escaped that kind of crap. Yet at the same time, after having done it for so long it's kind of confusing to reach a boss where the only point is to just whale on him until he dies, occasionally dodging oncoming fire as you go.

- A little more realism? Realistically, there is a small but not impossible chance that someone does walk away from a gaping head wound. Granted, their life sucks if they live despite it but the point is it's still possible (if highly improbable.) And special weak points? Yeah, those suck. Granted, sometimes some weapons or spots should do more damage against a certain foe but having him point that out to you himself is kind of stupid.