Adventure Forums - View Single Post - Game-design: Open or narrow START of a game?

Pyke · 01-13-2012, 07:46 AM

I think I may be in the minority of Adventure Gamers who doesn't really enjoy a completely open world.

I really like it when I have very definite goals to drive me forward in AG's. I look at them like stories...the idea of an open ended 'story' is almost like getting a book, that you can start on ANY page. And then go backwards. And then forwards. The story would have to be quite 'grey' for it to really make sense.
I think that certain sacrifices are made by designers who are making their games have a more 'open' experience. Things that you do will naturally effect the world a lot less with an open world, because, honestly, they are very easy to break.
Stealing from someone cant have a large effect on the story, because you may need to get something from that person in the future. So how does that effect a certain quest for the guys who DIDNT steal from that person? Now there are obviously ways to write around those situations, but that's the thing...after a while you begin to make up game situations to fit every scenario, and to be safe you have to make the situations as 'generic' as possible. Its like you stop pushing your ship forward, and end up running around with glue trying to plug up holes and stop it from sinking.

Just my thoughts tho. Im pretty sure there are a few people here who can counter each of them!

01-13-2012, 07:46 AM	#3
Pyke Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 153	I think I may be in the minority of Adventure Gamers who doesn't really enjoy a completely open world. I really like it when I have very definite goals to drive me forward in AG's. I look at them like stories...the idea of an open ended 'story' is almost like getting a book, that you can start on ANY page. And then go backwards. And then forwards. The story would have to be quite 'grey' for it to really make sense. I think that certain sacrifices are made by designers who are making their games have a more 'open' experience. Things that you do will naturally effect the world a lot less with an open world, because, honestly, they are very easy to break. Stealing from someone cant have a large effect on the story, because you may need to get something from that person in the future. So how does that effect a certain quest for the guys who DIDNT steal from that person? Now there are obviously ways to write around those situations, but that's the thing...after a while you begin to make up game situations to fit every scenario, and to be safe you have to make the situations as 'generic' as possible. Its like you stop pushing your ship forward, and end up running around with glue trying to plug up holes and stop it from sinking. Just my thoughts tho. Im pretty sure there are a few people here who can counter each of them!