@BBeck, Mass Effect is not an FPS, it's a 3rd person shooter. I prefer FPS games, as the mechanics are much simpler and more streamlined. In 3rd person games you have to worry about programming and controlling the camera, and it's too easy for the player to cheat (in my book) by peeking around corners. FPS games, however, there is no such cheating allowed. It is the most realistic point of view and the simplest to the control, and hence it is the most immersive.

@ObjectivityGuy, Lots of FPS games do have the same mechanics, but you can always try the other kind of FPS, First Person Stealth. The original 2 thief games, Dishonored, Deus Ex 1, and Alien Isolation, are all about stealth, and stealth is much more fun when you can't move the camera to peek around corners while staying hidden.

I think that FPS games are popular because they give the illusion of YOU being the character, as it's being "viewed through your eyes" via the character whose face you usually never see.

For a short answer, in my opinion, FPS tend to focus on the action the game has to offer that's why it is appealing. Not everyone wants to look at their character and build a story around it. Some people prefer to be immersed in a story and the action that comes with it. FPS can achieve that a little bit easier since the focus of the camera is on the environment, not the character.

Also, think about it there is more gun than people in the US. Everyone wants to play a first-person shooter where you can see different guns.

On 12/19/2017 at 12:46 AM, LorenzoGatti said:

Even with implausible weapons and unnatural physics, the experience of running, jumping, turning, looking around in a solid environment is close to the player's body perception in a way that is impossible for other kinds of equally twitchy realtime games (e.g. a RTS where you scroll a map.

There are plenty of FPS games that aim for ultra realistic weapons and physics which are quite popular also.  Sniper series along with Arma comes to mind, with Arma having quite a large community.

Having said that, I really enjoyed Doom (2016 version) while I typically prefer Arma 3 or realistic flight sims (DCS).  But the appeal of the faster paced, less realistic FPS games, to me at least, was in the faster pace, twitch gaming seeing if I could beat my previous play through time and later in competition in online gaming (Counter-Strike).  But what makes them fun?  Depends on the intended market you're looking to appeal too, honestly.  If we all liked the same games, there would be a tiny game dev segment

I find the appeal of FPS to be the non-FPS content.

Gameplay wise, a FPS which has nothing to it but shooting guns is extremely boring to me.

But, a game that uses FPS gameplay as a mean to materialise role playing mechanics and strategical decisions can be awesome.

The stalker series and arma are the first ones that come to mind. The X game series is a space shooter with a ridiculously deep open world and sand boxing. The FPS games I like usually have a complex inventory management system.

It depends what kind of fps game you want to make. Realistic? Arcadey? Fast paced? Slow paced? It really depends on what kind of fps you want to make. 

I'll use counter strike for example: 

Counter Strike is a competitive shooter, and therefore must contain various mechanics that can be employed to consistently overcome your opponent.

The most obvious mechanic is aim, and it's really important in Counterstrike, but there are countless other mechanics that can be employed. Map knowledge (knowing which corners people are most likely to hide behind), movement (strafing back and forth to peek and throw off opponents), how to use your grenades effectively (what choke points to smoke, where to throw flashbangs for max effectiveness) etc. What makes a good competitive fps imo is the following: implement mechanics that have an infinite skill cap (ie. aim, which is almost guaranteed in your game), but also implement really small mechanics that people my discover after hundreds of hours of gameplay. Map design is crucial if you want to make your game successful. 

On 19/12/2017 at 1:00 AM, ObjectivityGuy said:

can someone elaborate for me what makes a good fps game i have played them and i cant tell the difference form one to another

A passion for making a good FPS game I would think is a requirement just like in any game you design but what make s a good FPS? PUBG is king of the hill for FPS's right now. If you break it down, it's a large playable area with a handful of vehicles and weapons where you only get one life and you also have to scavenge for things.

What makes it good? Good gunplay, interesting environments, good sound design, options for solo/team play, variety of items to find, the decreasing circle of death, map design and of course how it matches up to your definition of good.

COD is massively popular but wouldn't fit the criteria of a "good" game in many people's eyes and there's two ways to make a game - you can be cutthroat and go for money in which case follow destiny 2 with it's.... what exactly? The gameplay there is repetitive and grindy and boring apparently and yet a ton of people bought it. Not sure so many are still playing it however.

If you're not going for cutthroat and profits, welcome to real game design!

For me.....

Iron sights combined with powerful sound-effects and brutal bloody violence (and preferably sci-fi)
is what puts me in the zone. But it has to be THAT exact combo.