Hands up those that think FPS games are becoming too hard. I would like to hear folks impressions of FPS games in the last year from a difficulty point of view. I heard some comments about Aliens vs. Predator (which I have actually never played) which said that the inability to save whenever you feel like it makes the game really suspenseful. It also said that other games rely on their save/load features to disguise the fact that the gameplay is too unbalanced. I would sort of agree with this because I know the 'that sucks' feeling in Quake 2 when you are doing really well and you just happen to cop a grenade from a Gunner. On the HARD difficulty you die instantly despite the fact that you have about 70% health. I can cope with this one, but tell me if you seriously think this is fair: Kingpin....You are creeping up behind a thug, and you are holding an automatic machine-gun. You get right up behind the guys back and aim at the barrel at the back of his head. You pull the trigger and before you have even heard the sound of your gun blast (was it just that the sound card didn't have time to process the noise and send it to the speakers??) the guy turns round with a shotgun and bang...one shot, you are dead. I don't mind really good AI but that sounds more like a bug to me. On top of that I would very much like to know of anyone who finished that game on the highest difficulty - if you did, I want some evidence because that setting was ridiculous!!! Also, in DOOM you used to be able to run past a group of guys (avoid them) and go and explore the rest of a level (which was good because it had that sort of charging through hell feeling) whereas now things seem to be more linear. If you DON'T take out those first guys, they follow you, and you end up facing a whole group of guys at once. Although having the guys follow you might be seen as good AI (which I agree with) do they have to be able to follow you everywhere eg. so that you can't evade them at all. Games like Rogue Spear obviously expect you to take your time, treat situations with care because you don't want Rambo in a hostage situation, but it would surely be better if you had a little more choice in what order you traversed the level like you did in DOOM. Sick of writing, Paulcoz. Please give me your thoughts. Edited by - paulcoz on 2/4/00 1:16:11 AM

I agree with this post.

FPS are getting harder and harder. In doom i can easely pass a comlete level with out dying at the Ultra violence setting.

In quake 2 it was more areder but stil fair!

But in half ife it is really hard. You alway die and im sure the level designer has moe fun placing thos damm hard enconter than the player playing it!

I''m not sure that there''s really an issue here. Back in ol'' college days, there was a guy on my dorm floor who could *literally* play through the first three levels of Quake blindfolded on the hardest difficulty setting. Maybe it''s just your competition that''s gotten harder, and you haven''t been keeping up? Of course, myself, I can''t even get through DOOM on easiest setting. Though I''m pretty good as the alien in AvP.

Difficulty settings are there so you can be challenged. If you are playing on the hardest setting, it''s supposed to be hard. Besides some of us (myself, for one) are sick and tired of games for these weaklings. My current project is not challenging for me to play, I am going to make my next game nigh on impossible. I''ve been playing console games since I was, um, about three and a half, and computer games since about seven and I can tell you it is embarassing how easy some people want these games to be.

Although, what REALLY irks me, is cheat codes. PLEASE, for GODS SAKE, LEAVE THEM OUT OF YOUR GAME. They ruin it for everyone. The people who really suck at a game never gain any skill at the game and continue to suck at it. Look at people who play 7on1 computer games on Starcraft. Nuff said. Yick. Or one map wonders (BGH anyone?). SAD stuff.

Well i dont mind if a game is a bit hard... about aliens vs predator ive played and compleated it with the predator.. there is also a patch that makes it availble to save where ever you are in the game.... but i didnt use it...

I also have to say that im growing a bit (very much) tired of all thoose fps clones... i think someone should start with a more original project...

I guess I just long for the FPS where being able to manoeuvre the character well and dodge the enemy fire counts for something, instead of being overwhelmed by the guy with the biggest most powerful gun.

Paulcoz.