YOUR FAVORITE GAME EVER!

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How do you win in Minecraft?

E:
I am talking more in the sense that "Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction.", and without goals, it's not much of a "game" to me.

E2:

Chris Crawford
Computer game designer Chris Crawford, founder of The Journal of Computer Game Design, has attempted to define the term game using a series of dichotomies:

1. Creative expression is art if made for its own beauty, and entertainment if made for money.
2. A piece of entertainment is a plaything if it is interactive. Movies and books are cited as examples of non-interactive entertainment.
3. If no goals are associated with a plaything, it is a toy. (Crawford notes that by his definition, (a) a toy can become a game element if the player makes up rules, and (b) The Sims and SimCity are toys, not games.) If it has goals, a plaything is a challenge.
4. If a challenge has no "active agent against whom you compete," it is a puzzle; if there is one, it is a conflict. (Crawford admits that this is a subjective test. Video games with noticeably algorithmic artificial intelligence can be played as puzzles; these include the patterns used to evade ghosts in Pac-Man.)
5. Finally, if the player can only outperform the opponent, but not attack them to interfere with their performance, the conflict is a competition. (Competitions include racing and figure skating.) However, if attacks are allowed, then the conflict qualifies as a game.

Crawford's definition may thus be rendered as: an interactive, goal-oriented activity, with active agents to play against, in which players (including active agents) can interfere with each other.


wow. I agree with this pretty hard. (though I would call #4 a "game" and #5 be about the distinction between "competition" and "sport")
Depends on the map. ;p

Also, defeating the Ender Dragon will end the game - you'll get a credit roll and ending 'scene' too. (Basically it alludes to you being inside a simulation of some kind. I've yet to beat the damn critter because it never really appealed to me to do so... and it's a hard fight even with diamond everything.)
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
My view on Minecraft is, whatever it is it was fun, and I played it for about 2 years actively. It ruined a couple of my grades. I don't think any other game has done that for me.
When I was taught English waybackwhen one of the weird things about the language is that it didn't make a difference between "lek" (game/play) and "spel" (game). Your definition seems to clearly define the "spel" part but I always thought that the word "game" also included the "lek".

You could also argue that while a tool itself is not a game, the way it is used is. (like #3) a deck of cards or an RPG book is not in itself a game, yet it is clearly used for playing games. So while Minecraft is (maybe) not a game, the game played in Minecraft is.

Many of the games also feature perpetual goals that while fulfilled do not end the game but failing to fulfil them does end the game. In Minecraft and The Sims the goal is to stay alive. While you do so the game does not end (though apparently there is an endgame in Minecraft according to Liberty, does a goal exist if you don't know what it is?) but if you fail to do so it does. In Minecraft it even gives a score after you die, telling you how well you did.

I guess in the end I don't see goals as too important in the definition of games, rules I find important but from the rules goals often come out naturally and goals shift all the time. One goal is to climb a mountain and then some leveling and then an achievement and then some sweet loot. "beat the game" is not the only goal out there and if it was most multiplayer games would not be games. (and if interfering rather than outperforming another is important then non-multiplayer games might also not be games, since comparing scores in Mega Man 1 is only competition not conflict. Outperforming the AI is a puzzle.)


Yeah I don't really know what I'm writing. I guess I'm just more inclusive when it comes to this. I used to be hating on jrpgs for not being rpgs but I guess in the end I just gave up and now everything can be an rpg if it wants to be. And everything can be a game if it wants to be.
kentona, Minecraft actually has victory screen. You can win it. It's an incredibly tiny part of the game, though.
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
Even if Minecraft is a tool it's a fricking sweet tool. I think Minecraft and RPG Maker are actually pretty similar... you're mostly just creating things for the sake of creating them. The end product is good and all, but it's you creating something that provides some kind of reward. I've yet to find out what that reward is.

I still haven't clocked RPG Maker VX Ace to this day.
Ah, RM. I contend that they're games. Games that change depending how you play and have infinite endings. It's like the ultimate RPG - every choice matters and changes the game. You can choose your own dialogue options and there's a replay ability at any time. XD
You win when you finish creating a game and then you can start it back up and replay, this time choosing a completely different path. I mean, you could play the exact same game over again, but why would you want to with infinite storyline/game potential?

Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
author=Marrend
The ability to create stuff for the game, or the ability to modify it, would be a pretty huge factor for me, though. So, if I can't choose that, Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures. No, wait, duh, RPG Maker VX Ace. HA-HA, I'M SO SMART! Heroes of Might and Magic II - The Succession Wars.

I was totally being factious with the stricken-out part. Hence, why it was stricken out. However, if game-makers can be considered games, well...
author=kentona
How do you win in Minecraft?

E:
I am talking more in the sense that "Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction.", and without goals, it's not much of a "game" to me.
If you want to go that way, what is the goal in a majority of MMORPGs? Don't say max level because there are stuff to do after getting max level in mmorpgs. Are those not games either? Besides, you can make your own goals in minecraft (ex. a chest full of diamonds, finished some building, or built every possible thing).
Probably the only one here but my fav game ever was Pro Evolution Soccer 4. :X
author=ZPE
Probably the only one here but my fav game ever was Pro Evolution Soccer 4. :X


Not my favourite game ever but I still enjoyed this game a lot. It was a really good multiplayer game, and I'm not even a fan of sports games.
author=SnowOwl
author=kentona
How do you win in Minecraft?

E:
I am talking more in the sense that "Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction.", and without goals, it's not much of a "game" to me.
If you want to go that way, what is the goal in a majority of MMORPGs? Don't say max level because there are stuff to do after getting max level in mmorpgs. Are those not games either? Besides, you can make your own goals in minecraft (ex. a chest full of diamonds, finished some building, or built every possible thing).
The goal is to complete storylines, isn't it? Or in the case of that PvP crap, the goal is to defeat the opponent/team.

And yeah, if you can play with it and make a game out of playing with it, it is a toy. And there's nothing wrong with that! I love toys.

@shinan: English is dumb, and the meaning of the word depends on context in which it is used.
TehGuy
Resident Nonexistence
1827
favorite game..

I'm torn between Tales of Xillia due to its pretty cool gameplay mechanics and partly due to story and Dust: An Elysian Tail due to the fact its story is the only one to have evoked emotion in me for quite a long time.. Combat and mechanics had a really nice feel to them as well (BUT FUCK WALL-JUMPING ON THOSE DAMN VINES WHEN SPIKES WERE NEARBY)
author=SnowOwl
author=kentona
How do you win in Minecraft?

E:
I am talking more in the sense that "Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction.", and without goals, it's not much of a "game" to me.
If you want to go that way, what is the goal in a majority of MMORPGs? Don't say max level because there are stuff to do after getting max level in mmorpgs. Are those not games either? Besides, you can make your own goals in minecraft (ex. a chest full of diamonds, finished some building, or built every possible thing).

It also comes with inbuilt goals (achievements) like collecting wood, have someone give you a diamond, make a sword... and those can be added to when it comes to mod packs.

To get off the Minecraft talk, though, I was recently reading a Breath of Fire II LP and it reminded me of why I love the game so much. It's just such an awesome story that was so different to what was offered back then and - importantly - wasn't censored to death unlike other games like it. Also, the way it portrayed the female characters was great. Most perverts were called out on it, the women could handle their own shit and actually contributed to saving the world. Ryu was the main character but he wasn't the only one having to sacrifice stuff to save the world. Also, men and women were equal. There was no racial squabbling either.

Oh, and I forgot to mention Okami. God that game is amazing.
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
I really wanna play Okami but I don't have a PS2. Or any console for that matter. That reminds me though, I really enjoyed Sonic 2 as a kid, like, a lot. I played it over and over again when I was sick with glandular fever and had this big great lump on my neck. I clocked it many times, and childhood memories still remain so vividly in my mind about that time. Sometimes I wish I could turn time back to when that was still my life. Even though I was sick, and even though I could barely move, I had childish happiness back then that I just don't have anymore. Perhaps it's because I'm vaguely sullied by the world's sins, but I lack the joy I had of simply playing a game for its enjoyability. Or watching a movie because it was funny to watch, instead of dissecting its storytelling techniques, its cinematography, or the quality of its writing. The ability to enjoy the simple things in life is such a good thing, and I think I've lost that. Anyone know where to find a 5-10-year-old self? Because I think I've lost him.
The thing that I really liked about Breath of Fire 2 was how EERIE the game was. And, this reminds me: a few years ago, I saw some modder on a gamefaqs message board had retranslated the game from scratch. He said that the original translation was terrible--lots of wonky grammar issues, which is true. So, I played it; it's absolutely terrible. I don't know which translation is actually more "right," but if you want Katt to sound like a whiny teenage girl anime cliche, then look no further. It just makes me wonder how socially progressive that game really was. I did love the official translation, though. The whole game felt like walking through a nightmare.
The fan retranslation had a lot of, uh, liberties taken with it. Not only did the guy add in a lot of references to newer things (like lines from anime that hadn't come out when the game was released as cameos) but also renamed all the items and spells (and a few other lore pieces) after Breath of Fire III ones. So, yeah, I'll gladly stick with the original translation, thanks. It may have its issues but it's a hell of a lot better than the fan one, imo. Also, no shitty backdrop in the menu or bright fucking blue window graphics. (Honestly, the magenta ones for battle were great and the original blue was a lot better.)

And yeah, Katt came off as a lot younger, even if by lore she is only 15.
I wasn't a big fan of the liberties (heh) taken with the script of the BoF2 retranslation, but where it focused on the main story it did nice in fixing up a lot of stuff that was missing out of the official version. Honestly, if there's one game that could do with an official updated version just for script problems, it's BoF2.

On Katt, the translations are better on her text in the ReTrans, but then were arranged in a way to make them fit a younger character. So the context of her dialogue is correct, but the presentation was one of the translator's liberties.
author=thatbennyguy
author=ZPE
Probably the only one here but my fav game ever was Pro Evolution Soccer 4. :X
Not my favourite game ever but I still enjoyed this game a lot. It was a really good multiplayer game, and I'm not even a fan of sports games.


It's hard to put down a single game as the "best ever" but in terms of game-time, I played it regularly for two years (skipped PES 5). Tekken 3 was also another great multiplayer game.
author=kentona
I would have to say Diablo 2 (and its expansion Lord of Destruction). I spent SO MUCH time on that game, I would still play it extensively to this day (if I still played games extensively)

I used to play that a ton too. The only sad thing is blizzard would delete my accounts after taking a long break. Its a pretty challenging game.

I want to say what my favorite MMO is. Final Fantasy XI. Good community and a lot of wasted time here!

I will tell you my favorite game though. Final Fantasy 7. I was in third or fourth grade, and I saw a commercial of it. The game captured my imagination so on my birthday my dad brought me to Toys R Us and I found the game and got it.