There seem to be two main types of relationship between gameworld and player - The gameworld is set up as an fictional universe, in which the player gets to take over the body of a very-unfleshed out character.. then they are given relative free reign in controlling them. -> Ie. System Shock 1/2, Half-Life, Nethack ? >>But does this method really succeed in convincing the player that they are there, or whatever else this method tries to achieve? - The gameworld is a complete universe, where the characters that the player control ARE part of the gameworld and plot they are NOT THE PLAYER. Often achieved via Third-Person perspective. Best examples - Final Fantasy series (which acts as a ''story-book'' where the actions of the player tend to direct them along a fairly linear plotline). Mario series, you aren''t Mario and you don''t get to change the plot.

quote: Original post by Ketchaval
There seem to be two main types of relationship between gameworld and player

I''ll add a third: The player has no in-game presence, but is vaguely referred to: Command & Conquer, Starcraft, Civilization, Alpha Centauri...

quote:
- The gameworld is set up as an fictional universe, in which the player gets to take over the body of a very-unfleshed out character.. then they are given relative free reign in controlling them. -> Ie. System Shock 1/2, Half-Life, Nethack ?
>>But does this method really succeed in convincing the player that they are there, or whatever else this method tries to achieve?

I don''t think most people adopt the identity of the character, but because in at least 2 of these games are highly immersive, I don''t think it matters. I was never Gordon Freeman in HL, and mostly forgot about him, but I was guiding him. Same for the nameless cyberpunk hero in System Shock.

quote:
- The gameworld is a complete universe, where the characters that the player control ARE part of the gameworld and plot they are NOT THE PLAYER. Often achieved via Third-Person perspective.
Best examples - Final Fantasy series (which acts as a ''story-book'' where the actions of the player tend to direct them along a fairly linear plotline). Mario series, you aren''t Mario and you don''t get to change the plot.

This to me seems impersonal, but only because I like to insert my presence into the game world.

What about those games where you''re not the character you''ve created, but you are still in the game world. I''m certainly not my Fallout characters, Nikkita (the sniper ) or Bruno (the smasher), but I''m still in the game world.


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Just waiting for the mothership...

Yes, it convinces people that they are there. The reason is that if this character that I supposedly play is rarely referenced, and if the gameplay is freeform, then I feel that it was my actions that effected the gameplay. This is opposite of the other type where the characters pretty much have there own agenda and I feel like I''m just a guardian angel on their shoulder or something.