Topic: Unforgivable Sins of Game Design (Read 72495 times)

Bal · « **Reply #260 on:** May 12, 2008, 07:45:21 AM »

The thing about Portal is that a very good chunk of the game, maybe the whole first half, is dedicated to teaching you how to play Portal. It doesn't always feel like a tutorial, but that's what it is. The reason for this is that, during testing, people apparently really had trouble getting a handle on the mechanics of the game. I don't really understand why, but there it is.

Kazz · « **Reply #261 on:** May 12, 2008, 07:48:58 AM »

Quote from: Bal on May 12, 2008, 07:45:21 AM

The reason for this is that, during testing, people apparently really had trouble getting a handle on the mechanics of the game. I don't really understand why, DESPITE MY ENOOOOORMOUS BRAAAAAIN, but there it is.

Friday · « **Reply #262 on:** May 12, 2008, 07:50:55 AM »

Quote from: Kazz on May 12, 2008, 07:44:53 AM

I went through Portal in 3 hours.

I consider that a flaw.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE THE COOLEST GAME EVER LAST THREE FUCKING HOURS

Agreed. I consider this a flaw, despite what people say about it being the perfect length. (Then again, I want all the games I like to be longer. Even Ogre Battle, which is like 200 hours if you are a fucktard like me)

Quote from: Bal on May 12, 2008, 07:45:21 AM

The thing about Portal is that a very good chunk of the game, maybe the whole first half, is dedicated to teaching you how to play Portal. It doesn't always feel like a tutorial, but that's what it is. The reason for this is that, during testing, people apparently really had trouble getting a handle on the mechanics of the game. I don't really understand why, but there it is.

Yeah, my point was it wasn't annoying to have to sit through that stuff. Not as fun as the rest of the game, for sure, though. I guess that's a flaw? I just don't think it's the same level as most of the other similar shit.

Norondor · « **Reply #263 on:** May 12, 2008, 08:28:03 AM »

Quote from: Mr_Saturn on May 12, 2008, 01:38:05 AM

blar blar

You can't ever miss out on anything in the game

also if you're referring to shadow matter i advise chaining battles to super-multiply your drop rate

Saturn · « **Reply #264 on:** May 12, 2008, 09:22:54 AM »

problem is, that chaining battles causes the already fucking difficult shits to go into extra rapey mode
(and it doesn't drive the drop rate up past 10% anyway, maybe i'll farm money so i can buy weird mushrooms.)
Also i HATE THOSE FUCKING PIGS. THEY DO NOT DIE.

Thad · « **Reply #265 on:** June 24, 2010, 08:56:18 PM »

Quote from: Dragon Quest V

You can't make a quick save log here.

I love that so much that I'm reviving a two-year-old thread to express my sheer joy!

Bleck · « **Reply #266 on:** June 24, 2010, 10:48:33 PM »

You can't roll out a carpet here!

okay I am on grass but okay I will move over a little

You can't roll out a carpet here!

for fuck's sake okay now everyone is on grass

You can't roll out a carpet here!

OKAY I QUIT.

Detonator · « **Reply #267 on:** June 25, 2010, 04:54:55 AM »

Quote from: Thad on June 24, 2010, 08:56:18 PM

Quote from: Dragon Quest V
You can't make a quick save log here.

I love that so much that I'm reviving a two-year-old thread to express my sheer joy!

I'm trying to remember if DQ5 was the game where the quick save was actually permanent (it didn't erase when you loaded your game), so in reality it was just an extra, much more useful save slot.

It's like the developers knew they needed to implement quick save, but didn't actually know what quick save was, so they just made their best guess.

Brentai · « **Reply #268 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:39:00 PM »

Making enemy bullets the same color as your bullets as well as the background.

Beat Hazard is kind of addicting except for the fact that you seem to explode for no reason that you can actually see most of the time.

Thad · « **Reply #269 on:** July 11, 2010, 12:35:26 AM »

Quote from: Detonator on June 25, 2010, 04:54:55 AM

I'm trying to remember if DQ5 was the game where the quick save was actually permanent (it didn't erase when you loaded your game), so in reality it was just an extra, much more useful save slot.

That's the one. And that's presumably the reason they don't let you use it within 10 minutes of the last boss. Which is understandable in terms of stupid bullshit artificial challenge, but not so much in terms of the entire fucking purpose of putting a quicksave on a fucking game for a fucking portable system.

TA · « **Reply #270 on:** July 21, 2010, 11:28:58 PM »

Having spoken dialogue and not even giving the option to turn on subtitles. I'm not deaf or anything but I like to be able to see subtitles when there's gonna be music and bullets and shit flying around.

Frocto · « **Reply #271 on:** September 14, 2010, 10:01:40 AM »

Having just played Gunbot, it had a surprisingly large amount!

> Sluggish cursor on mouse-aiming.
> Ability to SCROLL HALF YOUR CHARACTER OFF-SCREEN
> Mouse aiming where you can pull the mouse out of the game, leaving your character to get hit repeatedly while you click back in and then it takes a few seconds to register you're back
> Being forced to buy shitty guns to get good guns
> Pits with enemies directly under you at the bottom
> Reloading with guns that have infinite ammo
> Games with infinite ammo where you can't hold a button down to auto-fire. Jesus my forefinger ow

Classic · « **Reply #272 on:** September 14, 2010, 12:28:10 PM »

Quote from: Frocto on September 14, 2010, 10:01:40 AM

> Reloading with guns that have infinite ammo

This is unforgivable? Really? What greater context am I missing?

Mongrel · « **Reply #273 on:** September 14, 2010, 01:44:17 PM »

Well, it technically serves a game purpose by forcing pauses in firing, but it's counter-intuitive and kind of stupid if the gun really did have unlimited ammo.

The same purpose would have been far better served by an overheat function, where your gun needs to cool down if you fire it too much.

Rico · « **Reply #274 on:** September 14, 2010, 01:52:47 PM »

I guess I missed the part where infinite ammunition necessarily means infinite clip capacity?

Classic · « **Reply #275 on:** September 14, 2010, 01:59:04 PM »

There are times when I want a flat cooldown time after x number of uses. I don't see how an overheating explanation is more intuitive, or how basing the cooldown around the concept of clips (which you have a functionally infinite number of) is counter-intuitive or stupid.

I am a bit surprised that the game wouldn't have a toggle for continuous fire though. That's a pretty damning problem.

Büge · « **Reply #276 on:** September 14, 2010, 02:49:28 PM »

If a game is going to use a gun with infinite ammo, it should have a cooldown or just weaker individual shots. The pea shooter in Quake II is a good example. It doesn't really kill anything in a single shot, but you can hold the button down and it'll go pew pew pew.

Defenestration · « **Reply #277 on:** September 14, 2010, 03:22:34 PM »

It looks like there's a couple of the really good guns that have "Full Auto" as the description.

Frocto · « **Reply #278 on:** September 14, 2010, 03:35:00 PM »

Sure, add "restricting basic measures against CTS to only the biggest of fags" to the list.

Detonator · « **Reply #279 on:** September 14, 2010, 03:35:06 PM »

Soldat and Left 4 Dead (pistols) are two games off the top of my head that use "unlimited ammo, limited clip/magazine", and I think it works just fine for them. The reloading is factored into the balance of the weapon, while the developers don't want to leave the player with no firepower whatsoever.

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Author Topic: Unforgivable Sins of Game Design (Read 72495 times)