Ten games every designer should play

TechnoGoth · 2012-04-26T12:35:29

Partly because of some the comments on a thread about innovation in games, and partly because I think it would be helpful to people. I thought I would start this topic. What in your opinion are ten games every game designer should play? and why? Here's my list in no particular order: 1) Civilization 1 and 3 - PC - By far the best 4x earth based games ever made. Containing just the right amount of micromanagement to allow you develop in the manner you see best but not enough that you are bogged down in details. Well balanced play and a definite sense of progress allow you to easily measure your performance against your opponents. 2) Masters of Orion 2 – PC - The finest example of a 4x game ever released, while it has a different focus then civilization it is defiantly superior in many ways. A tech tree and the freedom to design ships as you see fit allows you to create numerous successful battle strategies. By further allowing the player to customize their race, and expand at their own pace and still achieve one of the various victory conditions make it must play by anyone’s standards. 3) Spellcross – PC- An excellent blend of tactical combat and strategy that falls into the strategy category somewhere between X-Com and Masters of Orion 2. What makes this game particularly interesting is the each game level or area is divided into different territories each representing a separate mission. Each territory once captured produces a set number of resources for a set number of turns, the player then controls how to divide the total resources they receive between cash and research points. Cash is used to by new units, equip units with improvements, and repairing damaged units. This strategy aspect makes from interesting play as it adds a logistical aspect which is lacking most strategy games. 4) Darklands – PC – A great game set in Europe. While it would technically be considered an RPG its nothing like your typical rpg. You create characters by choosing a family background and then deciding which occupation they will pursue over a 5 year interval which determines how many skill points you get, how many points you can place in each skill, and points to certain stats and skills. Certain occupations also provide other bonuses such alchemic formulas. You can have up to character in your party at a time and if one dies you can make another at any town. Equipment has a quality rating which determines how good it is and quality can be reduced when a character is inquired. Add to this complete freedom to explore the game world, random events that allow for different player responses based on what equipment and skills the characters, and no real objective then to gain us much fame as you can. Make it a truly enjoyable experience. 5) Persona 2 eternal punishment – PS1 – An excellent rpg that bares the unique status of one of the few rpgs set in the present day. One of truly interesting aspects of this game is the ability to converse with enemies and convince them to provide you with some kind of aid rather then just killing makes for an excellent change of pace. Has an interesting story as well surrounding rumors become true, which the player can use to create various in game changes. 6) Quest for glory 1-4 – PC - These enjoyable games are an excellent blend of adventure, rpg, and humor. With 3 different character types each possessing there own path through the game and methods for overcoming obstacles, make a lot more then you standard adventure game or rpg. Add to this the fact that you can bring your character along from one game into the next and you have one of the most enjoyable game series ever made. 7) Final Fantasy IX - PS1 – This particular installment of final fantasy franchise had a number of interesting and noteworthy features. First was the pure the nostalgia factor the moment you first see the cute little Black mage it brings you back to long past days you spent playing the original final fantasy game, with several other reference to the original game throughout it makes for a really nice touch for any long time fan. Numerous story related mini games it makes for good break for the normal repetition of things when the game enters one of the many little mini games, this was a nice feature that was sorely underused within the game, it could have benefited greatly from a larger number of these non repetitive mini games. Another feature that should be common place in rpgs was an attention bubble that appear over the characters head when they where near object they could interact with, whether it was a chest to open, a hidden switch, or secret item. That is defiantly one feature I would like to see used more often I don’t like the idea of missing things in a game because I didn’t spend the time pressing the interact button in front of everything. 8) Tekken 3, 4 and tag – PS1 and PS2 -The Tekken series is an excellent series of games that does it job very well. It has easy to use controls, intuitive moves, plus a larger variety of different characters, and moves to learn and use. All and all it is well balanced game, with no obvious flaws and is good place to look if you want to see what a well polished game should look like. 9) Counter strike – PC - What makes counter strike such a successful is fps even after all these years has to be it faced paced player vs player game play coupled with the frustration of waiting for the next round to start before you can start playing again. It keeps people playing again and again hour after hour, despite the various other similar games that technically superior people continue to play counter strike. 10) Fallout 2 – PC – An excellent rpg in every sense of term. That combines an interesting story and setting to explore, with an excellent set of game mechanics to explore it with. A character system that allows the player design a character to fit any role they choose and a game design that accommodates the place style of nearly any kind of character the player chooses to make, show just how you should go about designing a nonlinear rpg.

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by TechnoGoth March 10, 2005 04:41 PM

224 comments, last by Ronnie Mado Solbakken 12 years, 9 months ago

Drew_Benton

1,865

March 11, 2005 03:16 AM

Quote:
Original post by Oluseyi
Not a single sports game on anyone's list. Interesting.

Five sports games every designer should play

1. Hotshots Golf (ps1)
- The coolest golf game I've ever played
- Simple, yet entertaining and fun
2. Gran Tourismo 1 (ps1)
- Racing redefined
3. NBA Jam (sega/gameboy)
- First 'FUN' basketball game
- "Is it the shoes?", "He's on fire", and other great announcer quotes
4. Mutant League Football (sega)
- Football with a twist
- I'd love to see a 3D version of this!
5. Road Rash (Sega)
- Sports Bike racing with a twist

One thing that I have noticed is that the Sega Genesis console has had the most innovative games, IMO. I'm sure someone will argue me, but if you really look at all that has come from there, there has been some great stuff.

- Drew

Mike.Popoloski

3,259

March 11, 2005 05:21 AM

Why has no one mentioned metroid prime? That game was beautifully designed and told a story without any words being spoken at all.

Mike Popoloski | Journal | SlimDX

jagoman

122

March 11, 2005 08:35 AM

as i read through the threads i also saw noone mentioned metroid prime, until the previous post. anyways heres my list (no real order):

|||Metroid Prime||| - Best ever level design EVER! an absolute beauty for a single player FPS

|||COUNTER-STRIKE||| - this is the most beautiful online FPS every created, def can not be beaten (using steam). or Golden-eye for consoles, an awesome action game, ummm.

|||Diablo 2||| - Always different but never alien, sooo many hours of my life taken away, but so damn well worth it.

|||Age of Empires 2||| - very well balanced tacticle simple RTS game

|||Jumper Redux||| - free to download, VERY addictive, ULTRA challenging game. sorry if you lose your hair from ripping it out :P

|||Pokemon||| - Yes I've played it and damn is it good

|||Unreal Tournement 2004 (the demo lol)||| - have got the full game, but still think the demo has got everything so well done. this is a 'one idea' game, meaning there is one really impressive design concept thats never done before (i think), and everything else is the same but with just some personal modifications.

tj963

234

March 11, 2005 01:00 PM

Quote:
Original post by Oluseyi
I don't have a list. I don't care what you have or haven't played; I care a whole lot more what questions you're asking, who you're talking to and what you're trying to do. In fact, I fear that some of this may be harmful because of the calcification that occurs from repeated exposure - overexposure? - to a similar design. For instance, there are dozens of number-crunching, stat-based "RPGs" on various lists, which increases the likelihood that you (the reader of these lists and player of these games) will create yet another number-crunching, stat-based RPG.

*yawn*

There's a much bigger audience out there that clearly hasn't been captivated by any of the games you've mentioned. Why? What do they want? How can we deliver it? Can we deliver it?

Those are the questions I would like to see asked, rather than serving the same answers up again and again.

This is a good point. While a lot of these games are very good, and I have played most of them, I think it's more important for game designers to play a larger variety of games than any set in particular. For example, I'm playing Unlimited Saga right now for PS2. It is extremely difficult, very confusing, and the controls are quite incomprehensible. However, getting past all of that, there are some really interesting game design ideas buried in it, and playing an RPG so different from most of the ones I'm used to is pretty cool. I can see things that are original and fun, and what doesn't work and isn't fun. Otherwise we risk getting stuck rehashing the same ideas all the time.

tj963

tj963

ToohrVyk

1,596

March 11, 2005 02:29 PM

I guess all I'm meant to do is post my own top 10 list, ain't I? ;)

Although I'm going to go for different genres.

Do DonPachi
Warning Forever
Puyo Puyo
Bejeweled
Typing of the dead
Boulder Dash
Ikaruga
Metal Slug
Wiz'n'Liz
Lemmings

is all I could think of.

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BeanNeophyte

144

March 11, 2005 03:05 PM

1. the Gothic-series:
---------------------

for having the most realistic and detailed sourrounding in an RPG you've ever seen. It's just fun to walk arround in the environment without doing anything particular to solve the story, just relaxing in the landscape.

2. Civilization:
----------------
You can learn from this game how to make people addicted to games. Very well balanced strategy-game which guides you through all stages of civilization.

3. Dangerous Dave:
------------------

Though absolutely stupid level-design it makes curious what next level will come.

4. Ultima 7:
------------

You can bake your own bread in this game :)

5. System Shock 2:
------------------

Normally I don't like sci-fi, but system shock has such a thrilling story, that I didn't want to stop playing.

www.gamelib.de -- Your source for game-development

Guimo

463

March 11, 2005 03:07 PM

Any game now is based in old ideas. For a designer, you should go to the roots.

Starflight I and II for PC - You will only know this game if you are an (old) fan fo space games and played in your 8088. Electronic Arts.
Starcontrol - Yeah... many people still make clones of this one.
Master of Orion I - Space strategy. Liked the Black Hole weapon.
Pirates! - The original Sid Meier game.
Civilization - Sid Meier does it again.
DuneII The Building of a dinasty - The first RTS by Westwood.
Pacman - But I liked MrMunchkin for Oddisey where dots run away from you.
Barbarian - Commodore64 - far before any Street Fighter game.
Racing Destruction Set - Precursor of many race/kill games.
Mechwarrior I - Play on a mech made with 50 polys at most.
Archon - Chess with living pieces. Spanned many games.
Wolfenstein - The first FPS.
Orbiter - First space simulation of a space ship. Very Very technical. You even controlled the arm!

And the game that had em hours and hours playing... if anyone remembers this one he is on my league...
Alley Cat - IBM

Luck!
Guimo

BeanNeophyte

144

March 11, 2005 03:10 PM

I didnt mention

All games by the Bitmap Brothers (Xenon2, God's, ...)
-----------------------------------------------------

Very unique style Jump,n,Run and action games.

www.gamelib.de -- Your source for game-development

Marmin

523

March 11, 2005 03:15 PM

Quote:
Original post by Darkneon
I would add: Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts on the SNES.

That's a real HARD f*cker of a game!! I can't even get past the first screen.

Well this is another 'I like this game best' thread but I would like to add (if anybody actually reads this): Rayman 2 by Ubisoft. My favorite DirectX 3d game of all times, mainly because of the story, game play and level design.

A vid of my Pengo adv. remake in beta stage_____________

BeanNeophyte

144

March 11, 2005 03:20 PM

I read it :) Another one:

Gex Enter the Gecko (the 3D version)
------------------------------------

Great comic-style-feeling in a 3D game.

www.gamelib.de -- Your source for game-development

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