tegan

I Had a Random Thought (About Video Games)

Recommended Posts

Either control scheme is a learned skill and requires practice. Also, it's entirely possible that the sensitivity of the mouse was too great for him to feel comfortable--I find myself turning down the DPI on my mouse for most first-person games, especially twitchy skill-based shooters.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Someone mentioned Kingdom of Loathing on Twitter which made me want to play again, so now I'm playing that again.

Nostalgiaaaaaaa.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I personally prefer mouse+keyboard but I learned long ago this is not a universal thing.  For some people, using the mouse and keyboard is less intuitive because you're doing separate things with your hands.  I've talked with friends who think the keyboard is too busy and complicated.  They preferred a controller because they feel that everything is in one place and its easier to mentally map the controls to the buttons.  It was easier to understand controlling movement (an inherently analog action) with an analog stick than with WASD.  It also depends a lot on the game.  Some games are clearly made with a controller in mind (Halo for instance plays much better with a controller than a keyboard).  All my evidence is anecdotal but the general idea seemed to be that movement and general actions were easier with a controller while looking and precise actions were easier with a mouse.

 

 

You want me to duck jump? But...duck's can't jump

 

...(can they?!)

 

I always think of it as a crouch-jump.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Haha! Cutest video ever confirms that duck's can indeed jump, and that's just as well 'cos that kerb was a bit higher than a normal jump

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I miss so many games. I miss the elephant wars in Halo 3's multiplayer. I miss good, even matches of Super Monday Night Combat. There are so many great games.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Fez might be in my top 10 games of all time, and that's just playing it now for the first time. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be there at the start.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think I just had a terrific idea for a game. It was inspired by this comic that I posted to another thread. I love the idea of loading up a save game, not knowing where you are or what you're doing there.

post-33601-0-80439300-1412096623_thumb.jpg

The idea is a somewhat asynchronous and it explores a Jekyll and Hide/Fight Club concept. It's a two player game where each player controls the same character, but each person has radically different goals (the reasoning could vary on scenario, might be split personality, being possessed, science experiment gone wrong, etc). Player 1 might want to murder someone, and Player 2 will need to stop that person. Or it could be more light hearted, and Player 1 wants an NPC to go on a date with Prospective Date A and Player 2 wants the same NPC to go on a date with Prospective Date B. There could be a bunch of different scenarios with varying complexity.

Each player would have a limited action point pool, but the cost per action taken would be, initially, unclear to the player. Actions could include talking with NPCs, traveling, gathering resources, hiding resources, killing someone, slashing the tires on a car, buying flowers, poisoning chocolates with a diarrhetic, research, etc. When you run out of AP, the game saves and control transfers to the other player, who will "wake up" exactly where the previous player left off. Not knowing exactly how many actions you have means that you won't know for sure if you can complete everything you want in a session, or whether you'll leave yourself in a position that gives away your plan accidentally. As certain goals are completed, players will either earn more AP, or the cost per action will become more clear, allowing players to have increasing amounts of control of their half of the character as the game reaches its climax. Each player may also be able to take actions that mess with how many actions the other can take.

There could be multiple strategies available to each player. There's also the opportunity to mislead the other player by leaving them false clues as to what your plan is. Each player will have different knowledge about the game as well, knowing things that the other doesn't.

Players might occasionally even be able to troll one another (intentionally or not) by leaving them in dangerous situations, like about to be attacked by a rabid dog, or standing in front of a speeding freight train.

Bad shit could happen to either player as well! Imagine one player trying something dangerous, and accidently cutting her own hand off. Then you as player 2 logging into the game and discovering that YOU"RE MISSING YOUR RIGHT FUCKING HAND. That'd be so fucking good.

It would take a ton of skill to pull off really well, but it is potentially amazing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That sounds incredible, though unfortunately sounds like one of those games where it's difficult both to design, and to play well. Like Velvet Sundown, the roleplaying game, you need to be playing it right. It might be possible to set up in games that are open though, like you and a friend setting up rules for a game of Fallout: New Vegas, you come up with a set of possible goals and then each of you draws a goal from the hat and that's your overall goal. This way you both know the full list but not quite what your friend has, so you'd be attempting to figure it out but they'd simultaneously be trying to disguise it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That sounds incredible, though unfortunately sounds like one of those games where it's difficult both to design, and to play well.

 

Absolutely.  I'm not sure it even could be made (at least not to a point that was fun/interesting), but it's a fascinating thought experiment to imagine what all types of play it might support. 

 

Back in the days of 386/486 based computers, we used to play a lot of hotseat strategy games.  One thing I always thought was fascinating about those is you'd take your turn, then leave the computer and go do whatever (eat, drink, play a board game, whatever) until it was your turn again.  You'd get back to the computer and have no idea what awaited you after several other people had gone.  The tension of loading up  your turn and seeing what awaited you was one of the best things about it.  And if a game stretched over several sessions, even trying to remember what all you had and where it was deployed so you could figure out what you had lost since your last turn.  Duplicating an experience like that, but with both players controlling the same character would just be fascinating to see what people did with it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A thing that the ~10yrsold neighbor child told my wife several days ago (basically apropos of nothing):

 

"In some ways, cats are better than dogs. They don't take fall damage."

 

(I believe he went on to explain that they also have regenerating health.)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A thing that the ~10yrsold neighbor child told my wife several days ago (basically apropos of nothing):

 

"In some ways, cats are better than dogs. They don't take fall damage."

 

(I believe he went on to explain that they also have regenerating health.)

 

:clap: :clap:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Desert Golf and Drog Fractions could do a great crossover, but they'd have to call it something entirely unrelated like Miss Ellens Tea Party to retain the surprise.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think Desert Golfing would have been the perfect Frog Fractions 2

 

What if it is?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What if it is?

 

Here's my theory: Frog Fractions was secretly Desert Golfing 2, but in order to close the causality loop and prevent the destruction of the universe, Desert Golfing had to become Frog Fractions 2.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

From a couple of MIT grad students, this thing is super cool, lets you make a "controller" out of anything.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Am I misremembering or did they have a fruit controller at one of the GDQ marathons this year? I think it only came out as a bonus stream/tweets from the practice room thing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I actually own one of those but I honestly couldn't think of a practical use for them. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't think there's a proper general trailer thread, so here!

 

 

It's a teaser trailer for a game, and you should definitely take a look

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now