User login
Site Search
Online users
- Annihilator
- Bill Loguidice
What's your least liked gaming genre?
Comments
Though the purpose of the video ("What is...") was handled right at the beginning sitting thru it was worth it because of the ending!
Coming back to the subject at hand:
Truth is that my preferences are shifting all the time but in general I never had much love for economical simulations and strategy games. There were some exceptions like the SimCity series or NAM which I played more than any other game in these genres but everything else usually is only interesting in terms of game design.
Turn-based, tactical combat in RPGs is fine but herding masses of combat units without identities is boring in my book. I always had a knack for maps, though, so perhaps that's why SimCity and some stategy games held some interest for me?
I also never had much access to sports games as sports never was my forte. When a game is good enough, like the first Tony Hawk game for example, it may be able to grab me, though. Another example would be snow boarding games (1080 Snowboarding & Cool Boarders 3) or games that are mostly racers but also fall into the extreme sports category (Sled Storm & Wave Race Blue Storm).
bye
Calibrator
I've always gravitated towards more action-oriented games, but I think I've played (and enjoyed) just about every genre. BUT.... adventure games, particularly text adventures, tend to be my least favorite. Fighting with parsers and unsolvable brick-wall puzzles in the past tends to scare me away from the adventure genre.
There are always exceptions, though. Any game, done well, in an appealing, easy-to-learn way can hook me. I'm not a golfer (even though there are 100+ golf courses in my area), but I love golf games. It's just the way they are (generally) done.
I hate simulation games, especially economic simulation games. They are dry and boring. So why do I love Civilization, Ports of Call, MULE, etc. and etc.???
Like I said, it's the singer, not the song. Every genre has those "gotcha" games that break the mold.
qoj hpmoj o+ 6uo73q 3Jv 3svq jnoh 77V
I don't personally play any text adventures any more, but I loved them when I was a kid. But the problem you talk about (getting stumped, fighting with the interface) is an unfortunate aspect of all too many examples. Getting the difficulty right is one of the most difficult aspects of making an adventure game, text or graphic. That's why I think that it takes a true master to make a great adventure game, because you have to not only have brilliant ideas yourself, but also be able to put yourself in the heads of un-brilliant people and anticipate their decisions, smart and dumb. That means having command of psychology, technology, and on top of all that, creativity and writing.
From what I've seen, the biggest mistake is to assume that a player will approach a problem or puzzle the same way you would, when in reality we often take very different approaches. Something that makes perfect sense to a developer could be totally lost on a player. Also, sometimes players just won't see something right in front of their face. Just a little nudge or poke is all they need, but if it's not there they end up having to look at a walkthrough and that ruins everything.
Ultimately, I think games have conditioned us to think there is one right answer and one right way to win. That's unfortunate, because we *should* be able to take away something meaningful from a game that we "lose." Not every good movie has a happy ending. It seems odd that any "bad endings" in games are merely a failure from the player's POV.
I don't personally play any text adventures any more, but I loved them when I was a kid. But the problem you talk about (getting stumped, fighting with the interface) is an unfortunate aspect of all too many examples.
Funny we should be talking about this, but your "Monkey Island" Matt Chat inspired me to seek out some graphic adventures to play a while back. I stumbled upon three GREAT freeware graphic adventures that I played from beginning to end! Well, they may not be "Monkey Island" great, but for freeware, WOW! I meant to post about it a while back, but here's a good opportunity, so here goes. All three adventure games are very slick, with great graphics and easy-to-use interfaces, and can be completed in a couple of nights (at most), so they're relatively short, but what a cool ride, and they're free!
All three of these games were created using the Wintermute adventure game engine, which is a VERY powerful (but apparently easy to use) graphic adventure development engine. Check it out, if you have ANY interest at all in developing a graphic adventure game. It's free, although the developers request a donation if you find the tool useful. The Wintermute engine appears to be top dog in the graphics adventure development department. Anyhow, here are the adventure games you are REQUIRED to play...
In "Mental Repairs, Inc." you are a futuristic repair man who has a device that allows you to journey into the PSYCHE of various malfunctioning office machines in order to determine what the problem is, and how to fix the machine. The graphics are great (especially for freeware), and the tone of the story is lighthearted. The interface is very easy to come to grips with, and the story is amusing and compelling. The only complaint is the "color copier" puzzle. You almost HAVE to find cheats online to solve this one, simply because of rather poor graphics planning on the developer's account. Still, every other puzzle is amusing and straightforward, and well worth the time (maybe one night of playing) to solve. Again, excellent, professional graphics, and an amusing plot. You know there will be a "twist" ending, but the "twist" wasn't as obvious as I was expecting. PLAY IT!!!
"The White Chamber" is a graphic adventure horror game, obviously inspired by the movie "Event Horizon," in which you are on a haunted space station where the crew is missing (or slaughtered), and you wake up with no recollection of what happened. Excellent graphics, easy interface, and intriguing plot carries this game. Of the three games I'm listing here, this is the most difficult. However, there are several excellent, suspense-filled horrific sequences. The "hallway" sequence is a standout, with creepy graphics and superb, pulse-pounding music. There is an Anime vibe to the graphics, but it didn't detract from the creepy atmosphere of the game. PLAY IT!!!!
Finally, I think I've saved the best for last:
"Dirty Split" is a detective game where you are hired by a ritzy, high-class family to solve the murder of a famed plastic surgeon. While the other two games (listed above) are of the "I can't believe this is freeware" category, and are MUST PLAYS for gamers, "Dirty Split" really sets the bar high!!! The 1960's ambiance is extremely well done, from the classy '60's jazz music, the stylish retro-modern "art deco" graphics, and the EXTREMELY WELL-DONE VOICE ACTING! Yes, "Dirty Split" is very dialogue-heavy, and it's all spoken by (apparently) professional voice actors! The only problem I have with this game is that, in at least one puzzle, I was smarter than the game; I knew the locker combination, so why did I have to fly to another city for my "detective" to figure out "aha! I know the combination!!!" Otherwise, this game is absolutely professional. It is also the easiest of the three to beat. But for gosh sakes, if you're going to play a freeware adventure game, PLAY THIS ONE!!!!
All three of these games are clearly the best freeware graphic adventure games I've ever seen, and are borderline professional. They are also relatively short, easily solved by experienced (and not-so-experienced) adventure gamers in a very short time span, possibly in one fun-filled night! But it's much better to spend time playing any of these three games than spending big bucks sitting in a theater watching "G.I. Joe" or other such mindless drek. (Yes, I was forced to watch "G.I. Joe.")
Bottom line: Matt Chat's "Monkey Island" video, coupled with these freeware games and the "Nancy Drew" online demo, helped me get over my distaste/fear of the adventure genre. In this case, you have nothing to lose by trying out these freeware graphic adventures. I've given you the links, so why are you wasting time reading this? Start downloading these games right now and start playing!
.
.
What, you're still here here reading this? Didn't you read what I just posted? What more did you expect me to say? Download and play these games! Unless you don't like to play games, and you're just here because you are a worthless loser who will never be cool.
Okay, I'm overselling these games. Just go check them out already... they're free! :-)
qoj hpmoj o+ 6uo73q 3Jv 3svq jnoh 77V
PS3: MarkVergeer | Xbox 360: Lactobacillus P | Wii: 8151 3435 8469 3138
Armchair arcade Editor | Pixellator | www.markvergeer.nl
Damn, Rob, I wish you'd redo this as a blog for the frontpage. It'd be great to have some screenshots. I bet the developers would really, really appreciate your endorsement and the publicity as well!
Yeah, Rob, please post as a blog post and we'll promote it. Just a nice copy and paste. Also, feel free to go crazy with the screenshots if you have time because we have the room now. ;-)
If you don't have the time, one of us can try to do it posing as you, but where's the fun in that?
(we can host other stuff now too, like PDFs, so go for it)
Books!
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
[About Me]
I try to play everything and every genre because I've been occasionally very pleasantly surprised by liking something I never thought I would. With that said, one of the genres I tend to not enjoy as much are 3D platformers like Mario 64 or Tomb Raider or any of the numerous clones that don't feature some type of auto-tracking auto-map (or some big honking directional area that says "hey stupid, head in this direction"). I've said it before and I'll say it again--I get lost in those things and get frustrated when I can't find my way around, and they're certainly not conducive to me mapping them due to their mostly real-time natures. It's one of the reasons why I enjoyed a "simpler" game like Crash Bandicoot (a mostly on-rails 3D platformer) over Super Mario 64, even though I could see the technical superiority of the latter. Of course I do occassionally make exceptions, like with the PS3's "Uncharted" when I feel there's something really special underneath, but even that I haven't played as much as I would like.
I'm also not a big puzzle game guy, and I certainly don't like the Bejeweled-style games, though I do like the falling blocks/colors games and the Zuma/Luxor type games a great deal. Otherwise, I can't think of a genre I specifically avoid.
I certainly am very careful though with modern sports games because of their overall complexity (too many buttons and options mean they're difficult to play on a casual basis, which is only what my time allows these days), but I must admit to getting rather interested in the latest NHL and NBA games from EA for various reasons, though luckily I've been unable to pull the trigger and actually purchase them (around the start of baseball season I find myself getting a jones to buy at least one baseball game (which I typically do), and this year a football game mostly because the Jets are doing good this year and there's a lot of promise for the future--of course I didn't play last year's Madden's Collector's edition much, so I'm trying to control myself).
I recently got a fascinating new PC speaker system with lights and fans, so I'm even contemplating attempting to get back into more PC gaming. I'll see if my old Dell tower is up to it, otherwise I may have to consider a budget PC gaming rig. Again, baby steps here these days until I can ensure I can actually play what I want to play...
Books!
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
[About Me]
If you don't have the time, one of us can try to do it posing as you, but where's the fun in that?
Aw, I'm sure it'd be fun to pose as Rowdy. He didn't get that nickname by accident, you know. ;)
Aw, I'm sure it'd be fun to pose as Rowdy. He didn't get that nickname by accident, you know. ;)
That would imply that my previous nickname, "Spazz," wasn't an accident either. Or "Rambo."
Okay, the "Rambo" one is a lie.
Think "Screech" on "Saved by the Bell," as played by Tom Cruise, and you'll have a pretty good picture of "Rowdy Rob." :-) At least until I post a video response to "Matt Chat" or something. (Yes, eventually I will do one.)
Yeah, Rob, please post as a blog post and we'll promote it. Just a nice copy and paste. Also, feel free to go crazy with the screenshots if you have time because we have the room now.
Will do. When I started to post the previous commentary, I realized I got carried away and it got out of hand, and considered re-doing it as a blog. But, I fell asleep, still in "post" mode on AA, and when I woke up in the morning, I just said "the heck with it" and posted it.
I'll add some screenshots and add a bit more heft to the commentary, and tone down the nonsense. A serious blog post on AA demands nothing less than the best.
qoj hpmoj o+ 6uo73q 3Jv 3svq jnoh 77V