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squarejawhero · 03-21-2005, 02:14 AM

I don't think I can clarify the difference between story and anecdote quite as well as fov on this one.

BTW what a lot of people are missing here, is that although "emergent gameplay" or "sandbox-gaming" (Jesus on a pogo stick! Does it ever end!) are popular, the BEST of those games, specifically GTA:VC and SA, actually do have a lot of work done on story, plot points, character development and script. Hell, even Ray Liotta did VC! Other games like Mercenaries might offer more opportunity in terms of freedom, but they're underdogs BECAUSE there's a lack of story.

When I read peoples opinions of games like Halo, people talk about the character of Master Chief and the story running through the game about the mystery of the Halo itself. People have been more active complaining about a LACK of story - and I'm talking hardcore FPS'ers here at Steam or similar - in games like Half Life 2 or Doom 3... Reviewers also tend to side with games, even if they're not overly popular, like Tribes: Vengeance that back up the freeform multiplayer sections with a solid linear singleplayer experience.

It would be wrong to say players will prefer sandbox gaming over solid plots. Truth is, an arcade game is an arcade game - make it freeform makes it more FUN. And that's what sandbox games are about, fun - letting people experiment. But the creation of small player-based scenarios should not be confused with an overarching story with proper structure. Players nowadays want BOTH.

I'd hate to be a developer right now!

03-21-2005, 02:14 AM	#32
squarejawhero Epinionated. Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: London Posts: 5,841	I don't think I can clarify the difference between story and anecdote quite as well as fov on this one. BTW what a lot of people are missing here, is that although "emergent gameplay" or "sandbox-gaming" (Jesus on a pogo stick! Does it ever end!) are popular, the BEST of those games, specifically GTA:VC and SA, actually do have a lot of work done on story, plot points, character development and script. Hell, even Ray Liotta did VC! Other games like Mercenaries might offer more opportunity in terms of freedom, but they're underdogs BECAUSE there's a lack of story. When I read peoples opinions of games like Halo, people talk about the character of Master Chief and the story running through the game about the mystery of the Halo itself. People have been more active complaining about a LACK of story - and I'm talking hardcore FPS'ers here at Steam or similar - in games like Half Life 2 or Doom 3... Reviewers also tend to side with games, even if they're not overly popular, like Tribes: Vengeance that back up the freeform multiplayer sections with a solid linear singleplayer experience. It would be wrong to say players will prefer sandbox gaming over solid plots. Truth is, an arcade game is an arcade game - make it freeform makes it more FUN. And that's what sandbox games are about, fun - letting people experiment. But the creation of small player-based scenarios should not be confused with an overarching story with proper structure. Players nowadays want BOTH. I'd hate to be a developer right now! __________________ Starter of Thread Must Die.