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aj142
Village Dweller
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Posts: 18
Location: LA |
| Which of these is most important to you...? |
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Put these in their order of importance to you:
1. Interaction (does the environment seem alive with reactive items?)
2. A.I. (are the in-game bots convincingly intelligent?)
3. Graphics (does this game look photo-realistic?)
4. Gameplay (does the game itself stimulate your gaming sensibilities?)
5. Story (would it almost make a better book or movie?)
6. Props (cars, guns, planes, boats… do you prefer more toys?)
7. Sound (music, effects, voice overs have to be soundtrack-worthy!)
8. Size (does this game take months to finish?)
9. Design (the more realistic, the better?...... or the more bizarre and creative?)
10. Gore (not for the faint of heart….lots of dismemberment & blood!) |
Sun Oct 27, 2002 7:47 pm |
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dteowner
Shoegazer
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia |
4 and 5 are way ahead of the rest of the pack, with 4 being a clear first place. After that 1, 9, 6, 2, and 8 come in a tight bunch. 3 and 7 are minor, while 10 doesn't even merit a spot in my rankings.
If the game's not fun to play, the rest really doesn't matter. Nothing will overcome lousy mechanics or a poor interface. A fun game gets played. It's kinda stupid, but some designers seem to forget it sometimes. Likewise, if the character/party doesn't accomplish anything (slay evil, save the world, hit the level cap, gather the best equipment collection, whatever), there's no motivation to play. Story keeps you going after the first few hours. Once those two factors are in place, then the other factors get involved in turning a "decent" game into a "good", "great" or "all-time-fave".
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=Proud Member of the Non-Flamers Guild=
=Benevolent Dictator, X2/X3 and Morrowind/Oblivion Forums=
Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
RIP Red Wings How 'Bout Dem Cowboys! |
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Sun Oct 27, 2002 9:43 pm |
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aj142
Village Dweller
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Posts: 18
Location: LA |
Thanks, dteowner, for responding to my topic. I'm surprised more people wouldn't post opinions about my question. I can see why story and gameplay would most certainly win out every time. What games (not just RPG) do you think meet all or most of these criteria? |
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Mon Oct 28, 2002 7:19 pm |
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Beo
Space Defender
Joined: 06 May 2002
Posts: 542
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Moderator action:
This is not specific enough with Morrowind. I will move it to the General CRPG as you will get more responses there.
Back to topic:
I will rate Gameplay as the most essential components with Interaction and story coming close in a CRPG and ditto to dteowner about the least considerations (graphics - eye candies? sound - distractions? size - does it matter?).
It is the fun matters while intersaction and story make me immerse to the game environments. |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 12:07 am |
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Andro
Head Merchant
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 67
Location: Storming the castle |
Using your list, my order would be as follows:
1. Gameplay
2. Story
3. Interaction
4. Size
5. Design
6. Sound
7. A.I.
8. Props
9. Graphics
10. Gore
The depth and feel of a game is infinitely more important to me than the graphics. I would rather re-play Quest for Glory 2 (EGA graphics) than set foot in Morrowind again. |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 12:13 am |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
Gameplay and Artificial Intelligence top my list. Graphics is third and Story is fourth, and Size is fifth. I really like games that are huge, which is why i play mmorpgs alot.
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www.shadowpool.com
www.darkfallonline.com |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 12:41 am |
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SirVincealot
Head Merchant
Joined: 21 May 2002
Posts: 50
Location: Toronto |
"photo realistic" graphix is an extremely one-sided way of looking at this issue.
I'll take "cartoony" graphix like MONKEY ISLAND4 and WARCRAFT3 over MAX PAYNE.
Secondly, graphix take a distant second to *design*; i.e. the way in which the graphics fit the theme of the game, its general aesthetic and the way they fit in a larger whole. ANACHRONOX has excellent design, even though the graphix are powered by an "old" engine.
It is illogical and self-defeating to consider the graphical aspects of ANY VISUAL ART in a vaccum - it is a crucial question that requires discussion in the larger scheme of the work itself: the painterly feel of DIVINITY fits its own "old-school" theme better than if it were powered by MORROWIND graphix.
That is why SCHINDLER'S LIST was shot in B&W and DRAGON'S LAIR would make no sense if shot like LORD OF THE RING.
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"The claymore doth permit me to cut effrontery with sharpened steel" |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 12:59 am |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
So what at what number did you emphasis graphics? |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 1:09 am |
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MadPriest
Head Merchant
Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 57
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| Re: Which of these is most important to you...? |
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1. Gameplay
2. Story
3. INTERACTION
4. Props
5. Gore
6. Size
7. Design
8. Sound
9. Graphics
10. A.I. |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 2:30 am |
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dteowner
Shoegazer
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia |
quote:
Originally posted by aj142
Thanks, dteowner, for responding to my topic. I'm surprised more people wouldn't post opinions about my question. I can see why story and gameplay would most certainly win out every time. What games (not just RPG) do you think meet all or most of these criteria?
My pleasure. Beo's move seems to have perked things up for you as well.
My all-time favorite game is MM7. The sound and graphics are lousy, even when the game was new, but man it was flat out fun to play. There's a nice, epic story, with a big branch (increasing replay value) and you're always doing something. The interface is simple. It takes up more of the screen than current games, but it wasn't out of line in its time. Plenty of different equipment to play with, too.
_________________
=Proud Member of the Non-Flamers Guild=
=Benevolent Dictator, X2/X3 and Morrowind/Oblivion Forums=
Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
RIP Red Wings How 'Bout Dem Cowboys! |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 3:57 am |
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Provis
High Emperor
Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 872
Location: Middle of the Forest |
I tried sorting this before but found it extremly hard, so instead I'll do things I care about and things that I don't care about.
I care about
1 - Non interaction can really ruin the experience
2 - If I want to interact with idiots I'll go on the street and talk with the average person.
4 - DUH! If the gameplay sucks why would you play.
5 - DUH! If the story sucks it's luck trying to read a bad book or watch a bad movie.
I'm Indifferent
6 - Props
7 - Sound - This might be better under "Don't care about" since I once played an RPG nearly halfway through on a 9 inch B&W TV with no sound. 
9 - Design
Don't care about
3 - I'd rather play BaK than uhh, some super good looking RPG that sucks(I can't think of a good example right now )
8 - If the game is good enough it doesn't need to be long. I'd rather read a great short story than read a horrble novel.
10 - If I want gore I'll go downtown.
Ohh and I was going to mention that this would have gotten more responses in the General CRPG Forum but it seems I'm too late.
_________________
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"Yea, so what I didn't like Planescape: Torment, what are you gonna do about it?" - Provis |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 5:24 am |
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Remus
Overgrown Cat
Joined: 03 Jul 2002
Posts: 1657
Location: Fish bowl |
Finally i'm Here! - better late than never!. Well, i actualy saw this post been posted at Morrowind General when hanging around there but don't know how to put on a good reply, as Provis said it's hard to sort them out systematically/accurately. However it's very good question indeed.
My list & comments:
1. Gameplay (in CRPGs context) - This aspect is not well defined and debatable. Anyway, after SHORT scan on internet here is what i got (not necessarily complete): how well the game been designed in focus on the growth of character and their position in the game world, how many actions (interaction/interactivity?) could be performed by our in-game characters, and most importantly how well & effective the rules is been used/implemented (various version of D & D rules set, or others like in Gothic), include all the options for the player to build up their character and adjust their position in the game world (character manageability), setting up interesting goals (the content of a quests, and its system - whether it's Fed-Ex like or a different patterns, or just release a holocaust upon your enemies) of advancing levels or gaining experience points, manages which monsters to fight and create something (stronghold/home, new weapons, etc). It seem like some of these elements overlapping other aspects that determined a good quality CRPGs, like the interaction aspect. Whatever, from the description above it's fair to say that gameplay is most important set of criteria to determined a excellent CRPGs.
2. A.I; 3. Story; 4. Interaction. I group all these in second most important category. 3 & 4 is more understandable; and why A.I? - it's just my preference, and it would greatly effecting/inovating curent combat system and NPCs interaction.
5. Props; 6. Graphics; 7. Sound; 8. Size. I group all these as third most important category for a good CRPGs.
9. Design - difficulty levels?, replayability?, is there a penalty when my character dies?, dungeon level designs? realistic or a bizzare game world design?. Probably should be in third group...
10. Gore - If i want more gore, i rather go play FPS games, or go watch Peter Jackson's movie "Dead-Alive" (a.K.a Braindead). 
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 7:07 am |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by Provis
10 - If I want gore I'll go downtown.
Remind me never to visit the southern part of your little forest.
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound=  |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:20 am |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
| Re: Which of these is most important to you...? |
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1.Story (Honestly I often play StarWars games for a day or two even if they are plain stupid. The power of storyline )
2.Gameplay (This one goes next)
3.Interaction (Very important to allow #4)
4.Size (Usually if ##1-3 are there this one is desirable also)
5.Graphics (No comments, though I still can play IWD w/o Heart of Winter expansion  )
6.Design (OK, style IS important, but if you mean level design - it is sooooo closely connected with the gameplay. You cannot have a great play if all your dungeons are auto-generated. God bless Baldur I)
7.A.I. (I really got used playing with stupid people in table-top RPGs )
8.Sound (I have a collection of RPG soundtracks on my hard drive from IWD to Divine Divinity, but by the end of the day you stop noticing the music after two hours of gameplay)
9.Props (...why not?..)
10.Gore (yeah, sure, all hail Diablo!  ) |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 9:04 am |
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Joey Nipps
Orcan High Command
Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 849
Location: Outer Space |
| Re: Which of these is most important to you...? |
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quote:
Originally posted by aj142
Put these in their order of importance to you:
As others have already pointed out, some of these are far too general to do justice to AND many of these are intimately related to each other in fairly complex ways - particularly as they impact our playing psyches. Thus, as others have done I will group mine in ranks of importance.
Group A (very important): 5, 4, 2, 1 (these cannot be judged independantly of each other)
Group B (desirable): 8, 9 (ask the ladies - they can tell you that size does NOT make up for poor quality otherwize)
Group C (couldn't care less): 3, 6, 7 (if A & B are excellent, these don't matter at all)
Group D (detracts from game): 10 (here I presume you mean gore for gore sake not as it is important to a storyline)
Now more importantly (as others have alluded to), many of these cannot properly be rated in an importance order. Let me use an analogy - suppose instead of a game we were discussing a car. List in order of importance to you: brakes, stearing, engine, transmission - the simple answer is you cannot because they are ALL equally important and must be considered in relationship to each other and the type of automobile in question. However, ALL are very important and must be as good as possible. So it is with most of the aspects you mentioned for CRPGs - ideally they should all be there and be of good quality. Now, the only problem with this is that unlike the car example there are NOT agreed upon standards upon which we (or game designers) can test the various attributes of a game (and unlike the car, many are more subjective).
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When everything else in life seems to fail you - buy a vowel. |
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Tue Oct 29, 2002 2:17 pm |
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