quote: Original post by LtKicker
Non-interactive: Cool down period at the end of a level to allow the player to recuperate from stress and learn what will happen next.

Do we want a ''cool down period'' in our games? If we let down the pressure, don''t we risk losing the player''s attention?

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3

Yes if pressure constantly goes up with out a relief the game becomes boring. If you notice all the swarming games like space invaders, galaga and centipede have breaks in between levels even though they are very short. Its just a little time to reflect on what you did and feel a little pride.

quote: Original post by LtKicker
Yes if pressure constantly goes up with out a relief the game becomes boring. If you notice all the swarming games like space invaders, galaga and centipede have breaks in between levels even though they are very short. Its just a little time to reflect on what you did and feel a little pride.

Though as you say, those are short breaks. Perhaps cutscenes at such times should be kept very short as well, then?

I''m just thinking back to playing Metal Gear Solid 2 on Playstation. The opening cutscene was about 10 minutes long (seemed like it at least), and by the end of it I really couldn''t be bothered to play any more. I stuck with it though, and after 5 minutes I was presented with another overly-long cutscene. I got *bored*.

A lot of it would be timing, I guess - presenting the player with an arresting cutscene just when they''re getting into the flow of things won''t be best recieved.

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3

Exactly! Non-interactive scenes should be short breaks that are placed after you complete a special objective where stress has built up to its maximum then you can reflect not wait.

Telling stories through gameplay and the situations that the player encounters. Ie. Setting up the situation and allowing the player to work out the causality themselves.

Ie. They come across a lot of marines running away from a building..

but what are the marines so afraid of?

The player then investigates the building and finds that there is a huge alien there.


[edited by - Ketchaval on July 12, 2003 3:11:45 PM]

quote: Original post by Ketchaval
Telling stories through gameplay and the situations that the player encounters. Ie. Setting up the situation and allowing the player to work out the causality themselves.

Ie. They come across a lot of marines running away from a building..

but what are the marines so afraid of?

The player then investigates the building and finds that there is a huge alien there.

Yeah. I''d prefer that to one of the marines stopping to tell me ''there''s a hugeass monster over there.''

How about this - if the player runs to keep up with the marines, or follows them till they stop, then they tell him. Otherwise, he finds out for himself.

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.
Enginuity1 | Enginuity2 | Enginuity3

quote: Original post by superpig

Yeah. I'd prefer that to one of the marines stopping to tell me 'there's a hugeass monster over there.'

How about this - if the player runs to keep up with the marines, or follows them till they stop, then they tell him. Otherwise, he finds out for himself.

I think that we may see more *fluid* ways of creating a story in future games, which allow for more player freedom, whilst maintaining atmosphere and getting the important bits accross.

Ie. We have seen RPGs such as Deus Ex, Fallout and Arcanum.. which allow you some freedom in the way that you approach game problems (and even in the latter, what problems you solve).

Ie. In Arcanum, there are multiple entry points into the plot. (Minor Spoiler) Ie. You get a gold ring at the beginning, an evil henchman comes up and wants you to give it to him, you can either beat him- or give him the ring.. the ring isn't the important thing. But if you give him the ring some lines of approach (ie. the jewellers) are closed off, but there are still other ways to progress.

A similar branching approach could well be taken in more linear games too. Not that it would be necessary..

but in the example of the huge alien.. having the marines react appropriately (ie. tell if you follow them, or shout no this way.. (through AI and some designer scripting) would make the game world seem more real, and that you were playing your part in it. ie. immersion.

This isn't just about conventional story points, but is applicable to more common situations such as the above example.

[edited by - Ketchaval on July 12, 2003 8:08:21 PM]