Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
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From: neilg@fraser.sfu.ca (Neil K. Guy)
Subject: Re: First Person adventure games?
Message-ID: <neilg.753659555@sfu.ca>
Sender: news@sfu.ca
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
References: <neilg.753649969@sfu.ca>
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1993 21:52:35 GMT
Lines: 32

 Just as a follow-up to my previous message, do you think the
emotional impact of the game (if there is, in fact, one) would be
altered by a first person perspective?

 Some people cite Trinity (yeah, I know it always comes up :) as a
game that people get quite into and feel squeamish about committing a
certain act in, because it's *them* in the game doing it. If you're
just sort of controlling a robot would it make a difference?

 Another strength I can see with first person games concerns the
motive of the character. I've always been irritated by games that
describe how you're thinking and such. Some I can stand: "You suddenly
remember..." but some are obtrusive: "You feel a sudden twinge of
guilt for having done xxxx, and decide not to do it again...".
Obviously these are often barriers to prevent the player from doing
certain things outside the parameters of the game, but it can shatter
any illusion I think.

 However with a first person game these blocks could be designed as
objections by the game entity itself. Somehow: "I don't want to do
that.." seems less annoying than the traditional adventure game
putting ideas into the player's head. Of course then you start getting
into how much autonomy the game entity has. Maybe it'll object to
certain things, but will it actively do stuff in order not to die or
can the player lead it to an obedient death? If it starves to death in
a room with food, or in a room with food next door, does that further
dent the illusion? You start getting into path seeking and perhaps
even kind of AI issues quickly.

 Anyway, just some random thoughts...

 - Neil K. (n_k_guy@sfu.ca)
