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richardhutnik on 17 May 2010
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LordTheNightKnight said:
Khuutra said:
The fact tat they're planned out beforehand doesn't change the experience that a player has in terms of perception of spontaneity.

I don't know if I made it clear, but I'm not addressing how the player feels. I'm just discussing the quality of the writing. Even mediocre writing can get you personally invested. See the Resident Evil games. The point is there is a problem when one tries to claim it's up there with the best writing, regardless of how you feel when playing.

richardhutnik said:
LordTheNightKnight said:

The thing is that a game's story cannot change like AI to react to a player. It all has to be scripted and recorded beforehand, and the game merely triggers them. So regardless of the player's actions, the story will happen the way it was written and then programmed into the game. So you can judge the quality of a scene by watching it (best with knowing context, like many stories), since that scene will only change in a way that is also scripted and triggered.

I believe the videogame industry will end up bankrupt if it attempts to create movie-like experience and have to script EVERY SINGLE response to what players do, and do it on a production level seen as a movie.  This is a recipe for unexpected bugs or bad cost overruns.  Of course, an approach to be able to end up managing this would be to go the sandbox route, and end up creating a game world that is a system that interacts, and player responses cna be dynamic and the world manages it.  This way, you don't script things, just set up the behaviors for the actors in the world, and manage them.  You could then end up scripting main story arch in it, but you don't try to end up scripting it all.  Of course, you can go the MMO route also and have players as actors in this world.

 I'm not suggesting we actually try something like that. I was just pointing out that the system as it is means it doesn't have the same context requirement as gameplay. You need to know the quality of the controls and level design by playing the game, for the most part. Some exceptions are games that are so bad you can see the problems in the video (such as the wonky reticule in 50 Cent Bulletproof), or when gameplay is very close a game you are already familiar with (I find Battlefield Bad Company and Modern Warfare 2 have very close controls, so if I didn't know one beforehand, I would know by knowing the control of the other game). With a story, if there are three options for what a guy says, those three options will not change, so you can judge each line by watching them.

Let's say the first Resident Evil had a choice of scenes where you get the lockpick. One is the infamous "the master of unlocking", and the other is a scene with good writing. The former scene would still be so bad it's good, even if how you play the game determines if you see the scene.

And I should have put that in the OP. I just forgot.

What I am saying is if the industry decides to focus more on trying to provide fun and innovative games from a gameplay perspective, and less on trying to produce top movie-like experiences, it stands a better chance of lasting longer term.  And it should try to do it, by appealing to those who don't play as much, going at things in a Blue Ocean manner, rather than say, "Wow, that market is large for that game, let's out production quality the competition in that area, hire top actors, top writers, and outspend them, and out market them, and BLAMMO, the money will roll in".  Attempts to produce X (Halo, Gran Turismo, etc...) killers is a recipe for bankruptcy.  Now, if the industry decides to do what you saw with Borderlands, by producting a quality game that sits between FPS and RPG, or Puzzle Quests (add RPG to puzzle games) and create new genres, without the monster production costs but able to generate a following, then you stand a better chance of success.  And that is how the industry can prosper.  The same with doing what Nintendo did with the Wii in use of motion control, and bringing new players in. 

They key should be on new gameplay styles that captivate, rather than trying to do what the movie industry does.  You then add a bunch of production value, and MAYBE try to get some good voice acting and a decent script in... if it doesn't bankrupt things.