[Loris]

Hi all,
I'd like the AG players opinion regarding a few thoughts & ideas for a new adventure game:

1. How would you feel if a game is broken down to playable chapters instead of one complete game? So, let's say is a free downloadable game where once you download & finish the first chapter you get access to download and play the second chapter. Would you mind that or would you prefer a complete linear game and why?

2. Would it put you off if a game is broken into playable chapters and there is no save function during each? So the only access you can have on your latest progress will be only the latest chapter you unlocked. Or would that make it more challenging?

*NEW* 3. Would you mind a first-person game where instead of you being the main protagonist, you take part of a character that's part of the main storyline? So, you'll get to see the main protagonist in 3rd person perspective views in cut-scenes but in play mode you'll be in first person view for a much more immersive experience of the world. Similar how the first-person action shooters do.
If you have any examples of other adventure games that do that It will be very helpful as well!

Will be great to read your thoughts and ideas on this!
Thank you all.

p.s. if this is the wrong section to post this thread i'm sorry and please move!

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by Loris

1. How would you feel if a game is broken down to playable chapters instead of one complete game? So, let's say is a free downloadable game where once you download & finish the first chapter you get access to download and play the second chapter. Would you mind that or would you prefer a complete linear game and why?

I would mind it less if each chapter were self-contained, and feel annoyed if the whole story were continuous. It would really break the immersion for me if I were in the middle of an interesting story, and got abruptly booted out in the middle only to have to spend another half-hour or so patiently waiting for the next installment to download. However, if it were something like Sam & Max where every chapter were its own story, then I'd be perfectly okay with that.

Originally Posted by Loris

2. Would it put you off if a game is broken into playable chapters and there is no save function during each? So the only access you can have on your latest progress will be only the latest chapter you unlocked. Or would that make it more challenging?

Victi: Blood Bitterness did this, and it really, really bothered me, especially given that it was a game in which you were able to die. It's not challenging to have to go do everything you did in a chapter all over again; it's tedious and outright masochistic. If you really don't want to include a save function, your best bet is probably to make every chapter very short. Otherwise, I just can't see it working.

[crabapple]

Originally Posted by Loris

Hi all,
I'd like the AG players opinion regarding a few thoughts & ideas for a new adventure game:

1. How would you feel if a game is broken down to playable chapters instead of one complete game? So, let's say is a free downloadable game where once you download & finish the first chapter you get access to download and play the second chapter. Would you mind that or would you prefer a complete linear game and why?

Pretty much the same as Squinky said.
If you're going to divide the game up into separate chapters, make each one self-contained.

2. Would it put you off if a game is broken into playable chapters and there is no save function during each? So the only access you can have on your latest progress will be only the latest chapter you unlocked. Or would that make it more challenging?

That kind of thing is the reason I never bought Inherent Evil.
Get a crash near the end of the chapter and you have to play the whole thing over.
Get killed near the end of the chapter and you have to play the whole thing over.
Have to stop playing due to a power outage or insistent family member and you have to play the whole thing over.
etc.
Not my idea of a good time.

[Jelena]

Squinky said it well. I agree with her.

[Loris]

Thank you all.
Exactly the kind of replies I was expecting. As an AGamer myself I agree with all of you.... but is always wise to do the research!

If we'll be splitting the game into chapters then definately will be self-concluded chapters instead of ones that will break the flow of the story. More like episodes. But still, not sure if that will be a positive move to do.

[Loris]

I just updated the thread with a 3rd question, if possible to get some opinions on that one as well?!!

Originally Posted by Loris

*NEW* 3. Would you mind a first-person game where instead of you being the main protagonist, you take part of a character that's part of the main storyline? So, you'll get to see the main protagonist in 3rd person perspective views in cut-scenes but in play mode you'll be in first person view for a much more immersive experience of the world. Similar how the first-person action shooters do.
If you have any examples of other adventure games that do that It will be very helpful as well!

Really appreciate the help everyone!

[Squinky]

For Question 3, I'm not sure if I've ever actually seen this before. If you think you can do it well, then by all means, go for it!

[cwapitm]

1. How would you feel if a game is broken down to playable chapters instead of one complete game? So, let's say is a free downloadable game where once you download & finish the first chapter you get access to download and play the second chapter. Would you mind that or would you prefer a complete linear game and why?

Well, episodic gaming seems to be the wave of the future for adventure games, what with the Sam and Max Seasons and Dreamfall Chapters coming out. That might be different from what you're talking about though. Episodes aren't so immediate, in that you have to wait some time before the next part comes out. Having the chapters all at once might be an idea, but I don't see how that would be much different than playing the whole game through without having to download chapters separately. Unless each chapter stood on it's own I don't see what the point of that would be.

2. Would it put you off if a game is broken into playable chapters and there is no save function during each? So the only access you can have on your latest progress will be only the latest chapter you unlocked. Or would that make it more challenging?

I don't think I would really like that too much because it would mean I would absolutely have to finish a chapter before I could move on. Also if you're short on time (don't have time to finish a particular chapter) it's good to have a save feature for that reason.

3. Would you mind a first-person game where instead of you being the main protagonist, you take part of a character that's part of the main storyline? So, you'll get to see the main protagonist in 3rd person perspective views in cut-scenes but in play mode you'll be in first person view for a much more immersive experience of the world. Similar how the first-person action shooters do.

That is how Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is. It is nice to know what your character looks like. However, it doesn't really matter to me. I've enjoyed games both where I could see the character and where I couldn't, first person or third person. Story has always been more important to me.

I think what would be interesting to see in an adventure game is a totally new idea for a puzzle, like a totally new way for solving puzzles. An idea might be having to use your environment outside of the game. For example, I think there might have been an adventure game where you had to look something up on the internet to solve a puzzle. I think that would make the games even more interactive than they already are.

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by cwapitm

An idea might be having to use your environment outside of the game. For example, I think there might have been an adventure game where you had to look something up on the internet to solve a puzzle. I think that would make the games even more interactive than they already are.

Haven't played any of those games before, so I'm not sure how they work exactly, but if it's so that you have to open up a web browser separate from the game, then that could really ruin the immersion as well. Ick.

On the other hand, something like this would be way cool.

[crabapple]

Originally Posted by cwapitm

I think there might have been an adventure game where you had to look something up on the internet to solve a puzzle.

Sounds like a walkthrough. In fact, the game Missing/In Memoriam had something like that, where you were supposed to look up stuff on the Internet. And not long after the game came out search engines would find links to walkthroughs for the game instead of the websites you were supposed to find.

[Loris]

Thank you all for the inputs.

cwapitm
About question 1... the only reason for having chapters will be so that we'll be releasing one at a time, instead of all so people would look forward for the next one. Still, not really convinced with this idea so I'll probably be going for a 1 game approach.

About your idea... there are games that are online based, with fake websites to support the research, etc. Also I heard about one that had even a reward so people didn't shared any walkthroughs or tips with each other.

Anyway, I personally agree with Squinky that it will break up the immersion.

[ShadeJackrabbit]

1. It seems more of a bother than anything else, to me.

2. I would be really put off, especially if the developers were sniffing paint chips when they made certain puzzles, then coupled it with the inability to alt-tab.

3. Example: The Journeyman Project 1, 2, and 3. (How do people keep forgetting these?) Works perfectly.

[Jonatan]

Tex Murphy games work like in Q. nr 3

[crabapple]

Originally Posted by Loris

*NEW* 3. Would you mind a first-person game where instead of you being the main protagonist, you take part of a character that's part of the main storyline? So, you'll get to see the main protagonist in 3rd person perspective views in cut-scenes but in play mode you'll be in first person view for a much more immersive experience of the world. Similar how the first-person action shooters do.
If you have any examples of other adventure games that do that It will be very helpful as well!

I'm not sure people are understanding this. There are plenty of first person games where you only see the character you're playing during cut scenes. Pretty much all the Kheops games are like this, as well as the Atlantis games. But you're still playing as the hero and not as a supporting character.
What you're suggesting would seem to be similar to playing a game based on "The Wizard of Oz" from the point of view of Toto. Or a game based on "Alice in Wonderland" from the point of view of the Cheshire Cat.

[Loris]

Originally Posted by crabapple

I'm not sure people are understanding this. There are plenty of first person games where you only see the character you're playing during cut scenes. Pretty much all the Kheops games are like this, as well as the Atlantis games. But you're still playing as the hero and not as a supporting character.
What you're suggesting would seem to be similar to playing a game based on "The Wizard of Oz" from the point of view of Toto. Or a game based on "Alice in Wonderland" from the point of view of the Cheshire Cat.

Actually you got it right on your first sentence!!

I do mean that you get to play the hero of the game but only see him/her in 3rd perspective cut-scenes. I just wanted to say that the Hero is a character that has a personality, you can read his thoughts and even find out more about him/her from the plot... instead of the hero being the player like in the case of Myst. The only first person game I've played is Myst and so I wasn't sure if any other first person games have the player to control a Hero character that's part of the storyline or a nobody, themselves, like in Myst.

Hope is clear now and thanks for the reference for the Kheops and Atlantis games.

[ShadeJackrabbit]

And the Journeyman Project games. Stop ignoring them people, look at their ratings.

[Loris]

Originally Posted by ShadeJackrabbit

And the Journeyman Project games. Stop ignoring them people, look at their ratings.

yeah, I had a look on those too. Thanks.

[Fien]

Originally Posted by Loris

yeah, I had a look on those too. Thanks.

Have a look at The Last Express as well. One of the best and most innovative adventures ever.

Other examples are Black Dahlia, Lost in Time, Faust, The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin, the Vampire Diaries, Zelenhgorm.

Although there are a few 3rd-person FMV adventures (Phantasmagoria, Gabriel Knight 2, Bad Mojo), FMV generally implies a 1st-person perspective, which is not the same as a "Myst clone". In many FMV adventures the hero/heroine has a name, a voice, and a face in cut scenes. Tex Murphy and the Journeyman Project are FMV too.