What is the most addicting PC game out there in your opinion? A.Antzill Games B.Xbox Games [links removed] [Edited by - jbadams on September 17, 2008 1:21:34 AM]

probably WOW or any mmo.

Question: Do you want your game to be addictive or fun?
i generally dont like games that are addictive, 5 more minutes syndrome.

Games should..

+ Provide experiences that people won't experience in real life.
+ Let people live out dramatic stories.
+ Help people experience intense emotions.
+ Force people to reach deep into their logical mind.
+ Temporarily kick the fun gear into turbo.
+ etc.

Games should not try to hook people in and hold them there.

If you want players to want to keep playing, make them want to keep playing for the right reasons. I've seen many games where players literally hate the things they're doing in the game, but sit there and play it regardless. That's just evil game design. I wouldn't help someone design such a game.

There's no neutral-good trick for making players want to keep playing, other than making them enjoy it.

XBox games are not PC games (unless you consider the XBox to be a PC, which is a defensible argument I guess).

Quote:

Original post by casualgames What is the most addicting PC game out there in your opinion?

Solitaire.

Dwarf Fortress

'nuff said :3.

Quote:

Original post by Kest Games should.. + Let people live out dramatic stories. + Help people experience intense emotions. + Force people to reach deep into their logical mind.

You're over generalizing here. Not all games need to (and to me, most games shouldn't) be epic tales or long, involved "interactive stories". Most people that play video games want something to do for a few minutes or a fairly mindless but fun thing to fill their down time. I don't want to live out a dramatic story or experience intense emotions when I sit down and play a game of Tetris or Peggle. I just want to tune out for a few minutes and have fun. I don't want to "reach deep into my logical mind" every time I sit down and play a game. That's what I do at work.

Quote:

+ Temporarily kick the fun gear into turbo.

This, perhaps, is the only thing you listed that really matters in a game. For some people that fun may be in a dramatic story or emotional experience, but those aren't requirements, those are means to this end.

Quote:

Games should not try to hook people in and hold them there.

Bullshit. Lots of people harp on "replay value" as being a key feature of a game, and if I buy a game I certainly want it to hook me in and hold me there. That's why I bought the damn thing.

Now, not to put words in your mouth, but I think what you were trying to say there was that games shouldn't use underhanded methods to trick people into playing them. But when it comes down to it, if the game sucks people won't play it. If the game doesn't suck, people will play it. Who cares what they do to make the game not suck, as long as you enjoy playing it then the more you get hooked into a game the better.

---

Also, this original post reeks of

[Edited by - Driv3MeFar on September 16, 2008 4:15:16 PM]

Quote:

Original post by Driv3MeFar Quote: Original post by Kest Games should.. + Let people live out dramatic stories. + Help people experience intense emotions. + Force people to reach deep into their logical mind. You're over generalizing here. Not all games need to (and to me, most games shouldn't) be epic tales or long, involved "interactive stories".

Surely, you didn't think that I meant all games should have all of the elements in that list? I was saying that any of the items in that list would be a good game design goal, not all of them together.

Quote:

I don't want to live out a dramatic story or experience intense emotions when I sit down and play a game of Tetris or Peggle.

This concept alone should have helped you realize how that list was meant to be taken. I doubt anyone would disagree with you here.

Quote:

I just want to tune out for a few minutes and have fun. I don't want to "reach deep into my logical mind" every time I sit down and play a game. That's what I do at work.

Unless you're suggesting that games should never let players reach deep into their logical mind, you're not countering anything I posted. Many people enjoy puzzle games for that very reason.

Quote:

Bullshit. Lots of people harp on "replay value" as being a key feature of a game, and if I buy a game I certainly want it to hook me in and hold me there. That's why I bought the damn thing. Now, not to put words in your mouth, but I think what you were trying to say there was that games shouldn't use underhanded methods to trick people into playing them.

I said exactly what I was trying to say (if you take the whole post as a single message, and not the one line you quoted). As the designer, it shouldn't be your goal to get players hooked on your game. It should be your goal to build something engaging and interactive. Period. The hooking in aspect will come naturally to those who enjoy it. It shouldn't be on your designer goal list at all.

Wrong forum again and still no real content along with your links, you were warned, goodbye. I'll leave the thread since there's now some genuine discussion, but links have been removed from the OP. If you guys want to continue the proper discussion feel free to start a new thread and quote in any relevant sections.