"Linearity": Why all the fuss?

[.jayderyu]

disolitude said:
I find linear games better than open world games.

Linear games are more focused in providing the gamer with most amount of fun he can have at that moment. also liner games have less filler...

Non linear games give the choice to the player to choose his missions. Players know jack shit. They go to the mission they think they will be most fun...but that is not always the case. Also, they are full of filler to make the games appear longer and to provide the illusion of freedom.

I'm going to work off this one, because I think this is an awesome opinion that is far more human psychology stretching and explorative. This sentiment happens in the PnP RPG environment as well not just VG.

This seems to be linked with quick adaptable creativity. In relations it would be the difference between a classic actor or an improtu actor. A classic stand up comedian or Robin Williams. From a playing perspective it seems to come down to. Can/Does the player require a pre designed entertainment or can/do they create their own entertainment. Pre-designed Experience or Creation. Open gaming is about Creation while Linear is about pre-designed experience. To be fair though majority of forms of entertainment since recorded history of man has been about pre defined experience. Songs, stories, books, radio, stage, movies, TV, Video Games. It has only been in the last 30 years where interactive entertainment has come around. Offering with RPG(ugg I hate saying this Pen and Paper) and finally Video Games. This is a relatively small blink of the eye time period in human history where the player is encoureged to start participating with the creation of the story.

Is there something wrong with this. No and critics do really need to stop bitching about this. Those same critics are hypocrits within in the same day. After whining about linear FF13 they go on to play something like Pheonix Write, HaloX, CoD... Then there as pointed out the illusion of freedom as pointed out.

It's a strange odditiy, but the Illusion of Freedom is so important to developed countries(like North America, Europe...) including the players. Is the choice of not doing something really a freedom of game play. Is the choice of when you do a linear story freedom. Is the choice to have a character on your team freedom. To an extent yes, but at the same time these small choices hide the fact that if you boil down many CRPG to it's core story you find that there is no freedom and the game is very linear. In many regards levelling is meaningless since you progress you are forced to the same level appropriate to the area/monsters. This also stands the same for equipment. Your equipment is forced to equal the current challenge area. If you try to RP in an CRPG like FF it quickly becomes a game where the player cannot progress until the player acquiesses to the experience the developer wants you to do. Higher level, better gear. This also includes the story. Levels, towns, optional characters all provide an illusion.

I have been PnP paper gaming for 20 years. I have been in the seat of a GM for the last 20 years. I can say from first had that the difference between Creator and Player is distinct. As a GM my group are all Players. When I propose an open sandbox environment for them to play in they become paralyzed. They sit in their homes and wait until I provide them with the next adventure. At the same time all of them make poor GM's. 4/5 of them have tried and just can't do it. When I turn to become the player I get frustrated with the rail roaded nature of the fifth person. (Yes the term for linear in gaming is called Rail Roading. It's been around for a while). The best is the illusion of freedom with some small options. It's a video game.

Personly I think everyone needs to drop this ridiculous argument. It's stupid. I like to read, but I also like to write. Just because I like to write does that mean I need stop reading? no. I like to watch movies, just because I want to act does that mean I need to stop watching movies. Do I start shitting on the idea of a provided experience over creating my own? no, no I don't.

People just need to stop. FF13 is done away with all the pretense crap of being an RPG and is exactly what JRPG are. Entertainment. Enjoy it for what it provides because it sounds like it is doing a marvelous job to those who want or have an open mind to it. There will always be games of both styles. Though I suspect based on cycle of evolution FF13 will become more rare and ME2/FO3 will become more common. Then swing back like a pendulem.