MUD2MMO: How Chasing Reality Ruins Games
When you promise me that your game is "realer than reality", you've got a heck of a lot to live up to...
What spurred this episode on was a visit to a local "Lazer Tag" place that bragged that they were the "most authentic combat simulation" ever. That's a pretty bold statement. I didn't get into a lot of the specifics on why they aren't, mostly because it could and probably will be it's own show some time. But the promise is one I've heard before. A lot.
I've played a lot of "simulators" in my time, done everything from lame "3d" to "Virtuality" to "Tesla Pods" to so-called "flight simulators". So promising me "most realistic" is a hefty promise. you ever play in simulators? Not just a game, I mean a full motion one?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
TygerWDR
I'm a gamer. I'm a reality junkie. I'm a cynic. I'm a dinosaur. I'm a writer. I'm so much more than a paragraph can say. You want more? Ok. I started a video game show on the internet some time ago. See, I've played video games since Intellivision and Atari 2600 and PONG back in the day. Retro-gaming doesn't really fire me up as much as seeing how the community ticks. And after seeing way too many "I'm too young to have played this game when it first came out but it MAKES ME SO ANGRY" reviewers who would happily eviscerate my childhood for lulz... yeah I tossed my hat into the ring. the quickly scooped it back up, I'm told I have a bald spot that needs...more »
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Most of my favorite games aren't hyper realistic, they're well rendered and crafted, but own up to the style decisions that they've made, and the ways that the game is different from reality.
Owning those decisions and making them consciously are the things that make a great game, in my opinion. Trying to pretend to be reality when you're not just throws a camo net over potholes your players will step in sooner or later, and when they do it will completely take them out of the game experience you've so carefully created.
