SHINAN'S PROFILE

author=Fallen-Griever link=topic=3178.msg63994#msg63994 date=1235825301
If I'm not supposed to be able to vote for myself, how come the system let me vote for Sore Losers? Might want to take a look at that.

I don't really get the community's obsession with not being able to vote for your own things. I understand not being able to nominate your own things but voting?

One way of doing non-linear games while still maing them linear is a "mission" apporach. Essentially get the player from point A to point B to point C but allow lots and lots of freedom between the points.

There are some problems with the approach though. But first an example.

Your mission is to find a guy who is sitting in an office in a tall building.
Giving the player freedom to approach this in a multitude of ways. Let's assume that the guy doesn't want to meet you. Otherwise the obvious route would be to walk up there and take the elevator up and ask for an audience.
So let the player decide what he does. Perhaps he'll dress up as a window cleaner? Perhaps he'll force his way in. Bashing in doors and disregarding protesting secretaries "He's busy". Perhaps he'll put the building under surveillance and catch the Guy when he leave the office for lunch. Man you could phone in a bomb threat and lure the guy out.

Giving the player all these possibilities but the mission is still very clear. And the result will be the same.

Of course the problems are of course what if the player wants to kill the guy instead of talk to him? What will happen then? What if the player doesn't want to meet the guy because he feels it's unnecessary (In a tabletop example the GM will just put up his hands and say that the players are being difficult for no reason). With all this freedom in the mission the player will probably feel that he needs the same kind of freedom in the mission giving and will be a bit ticked that he can't do what he wants.

Of course that just means that he's an ass and doesn't enjoy what he has but instead wants MORE. Like everyone does I suppose...

This happens to me nearly always. In some instances I get to the endgame and quit there.

I hardly ever finish RPGs. I just restart them...

Unfinished games:
Fallout
Fallout 2
Diablo 2
Temple of Elemental Evil
Commandos
GTA Vice City
Discworld Noir
Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime
Need for Speed Underground


And probably loads more. I can't remember on the top of my head. I have a couple of PC games I haven't even installed yet that I've bought but I didn't count them since I haven't even played them yet.

Also I suppose "unfinishable" games don't count. Although I do believe I've played through campaigns in all my 4X games and played through seasons in all my sports games.

I think a good way is to provide a good open starting area first. A village where you can do a multitude of different quests in different ways and then you are let loose into the rest of the world.

An example could be like in Arcanum where you first go into a small town that you can't leave because the bridge is guarded and you have to get past it. To get past it there are a bunch of ways of doing it. This gives you the world in a nutshell without the hugeness of the rest of the game. And introduces you to the concept of multiple solutions to problems as well as optional quests and the whole shebang.

On the subject of tutorials I always prefer them to not break character. When a character I'm talking to says "press A to jump" it sort of breaks things. Instead have infotip popups with information like that. It's a subtle difference but it's a big one for me. Also if there are linear tutorial levels make sure you can skip them if you want. A non-linear game has great replayability, forcing you to redo a boring linear beginning part turns you off to replays.


On the subject of manuals. I love them. I hate the fact that games no longer come with proper manuals. I guess though that without manuals that's just another reason that pirating is easier. You don't even get manuals with your bought games anymore. Tutorials should only give the superficial obvious things (this is how you move). For indepth information manuals are the way to go. I don't think tutorials need to tell you everything, that's what manuals are for.

The thicker manuals the better!

I like a movie called Star Wars. It's a Sci-fi fantasy movie from the late seventies. It's about a boy that goes into space and shoots bad guys. It probably sounds lame but I'll be damned if it isn't the awesomest thing. You should all at least give it a watch. The special effects are gorgeous even after thirty years (I think it beats out 2001 a Space Odyssey and with lots less budget)

Star Wars has a bunch of sequels too that I'd also recommend. There's a couple of prequels that are a bit newer that mightn't be as great but does still have some good moments in them.