tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6542773327630613295.post5748339928321024197..comments2020-05-11T19:30:14.785-07:00Comments on Above 49: Eastwood Always Shot FirstNels Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06484436433023780229noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6542773327630613295.post-25305370645067467552009-10-23T17:10:30.134-07:002009-10-23T17:10:30.134-07:00@S If you haven't heard it, Jon Blow discussed...@S If you haven't heard it, Jon Blow <a href="http://braid-game.com/news/?p=385" rel="nofollow">discussed this exact thing</a> (tension between challenge and story) at MIGS. It's a good talk, give it a listen if you haven't.Nels Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484436433023780229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6542773327630613295.post-54228303843894040312009-10-21T11:19:28.795-07:002009-10-21T11:19:28.795-07:00I took umbridge with the same issue (exact same, i...I took umbridge with the same issue (exact same, in fact) in the original Red Dead Revolver - a game which I loved despite its manifold flaws. Makers of the game seemed too intent though on kneading the Old West Shootout mechanic into the very fabric of the gameplay, instead of letting it be what it really was: a minigame. Intriguing once, maybe twice, but not worth revisitng, really only suitable as a vehicle for the telling of the story.<br /><br />BECAUSE it was only really suitable as a vehicle of the telling of the story though, its overuse became not unlike the repetition of an esoteric word in a narrative paragraph. It felt ungainly, hackneyed, and yes, frustrating.<br /><br />And to add briefly to what Scott said, I don't think that a comparison between games like Call of Juarez: BoB and Geometry Wars (Han Solo sprites aside) is even remotely fair. Geometry Wars, regardless of what your little ship looks like, doesn't seek to tell a story. It's an arcade game, and a lovely little one at that. But one seeks to compete against oneself in terms of score, as opposed to trying to finish a narrative. I understand the point you're trying to make, but layering a bit of "story" into Geometry Wars and leaveing the gameplay identical isn't even worth discussion on a hypothetical level.<br /><br />Bottom line: If a game establishes a story, it isn't that it shouldn't set challenges and obstacles in the path of the player. But it should do so in a way that is in harmony with the telling of the tale. Geometry Wars has no story, and so the challenges become the whole thing. Call of Juarez: BoB and Red Dead Revolver set up a challenge, but they impede the happy enjoyment of one's progress.<br /><br />I'm not advocating ease, I'm advocating balance.S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11298204600556589810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6542773327630613295.post-43417201896761997082009-10-01T07:43:18.529-07:002009-10-01T07:43:18.529-07:00@Scott It's really that problem of making fail...@Scott It's really that problem of making failure fun. In most action films/TV, that protagonist (even if they're a stone cold badass) may get knocked around in a bit in the big fights. But they always get back up and ultimately win.<br /><br />Is there a similar sensation in games? I'm not sure. Combat in <i>Prince of Persia</i>, despite being problematic in other ways, did do this well. It is definitely a hard problem though and I can't think of many solutions that have been solid.Nels Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484436433023780229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6542773327630613295.post-80543298496451539932009-09-30T20:24:53.699-07:002009-09-30T20:24:53.699-07:00I think we should make the title of your post into...I think we should make the title of your post into a t-shirt. It would go nicely with my "Han Shot First" t-shirt.<br /><br />The quickdraws really demonstrated the tension between games with strong authorial slants vs. games based on building specific skills.<br /><br />Because learning something usually takes at least some amount of trial and error, it really clashes with the idea of the straight-shooting bad-ass who never flinches, never breaks a sweat, and never loses.<br /><br />What if Geometry Wars had a main character modeled after Han Solo? The repeated (and often inevitable) deaths would probably be a lot more annoying, even if the gameplay remained identical.Scott Justerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11775296635863850847noreply@blogger.com