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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Linear vs Non-linear games. Which is better?

 

Which is a better game progression strategy?

Linear 32 28.83%
 
Non-linear 43 38.74%
 
See results 36 32.43%
 
Total:111
outlawauron on 25 January 2013
fordy said:
outlawauron said:
fordy said:
outlawauron said:
fordy said:
outlawauron said:
Linearity is neither good or bad. You can do linear well and poorly, just as easily as you can do non-linear well and poorly.

@ Soleron

Then why not write a book or act if its all up to the player's imagination.


Forgive me if I start to sound like an old codger, but back in the days where the system was limited in terms of detailing a game story out, the game would generally provide an "oversight story" and the player would fill in the details themselves. Despite the system limitations, the instruction manuals provided for the first 3 Zeldas with their incredibly detailed illustrations really got people imagining.

I know it's a completely different era now, but it can give some insight on how powerful the mind can be when playing such games.

At this point in tech and development, it just comes across as super lazy to me.

It can be seen that way. Another way is that it can increase the immsersion levels, because it involes the mind forcing to work at an interactive level.

I know many play games to relax. This is just another way of looking at gaming in general.

I feel immersion can also be broken with too much freedom because the product can lack polish or compelling content because it's shoehorned into do whatever you want. A lot of characters and storylines will be available, but very few are ever fleshed out. This is why I'm not a big fan of non-linear personally. The story and characters get shoved aside for the sake of choices that usually don't really affect anything anyways.


While I agree that the story tends to suffer on a non-linear game, there are examples where some nonlinearity can assist in the storyline. Take for example FF6, where you can choose from the three groups making it to Narshe. Character development however, I think does not get affected by nonlinearity, especially when the nonlinearity involves different characters. Once again, FF6 with Locke's story, Cyan's nightmares, Strago's childhood, etc. The majority of the second half of the game os entirely nonlinear, yet involves a LOT of character development.

I guess we have differing expectations and definitions. I consider every FF game to be linear, some are just more linear than others.



"We'll toss the dice however they fall,
And snuggle the girls be they short or tall,
Then follow young Mat whenever he calls,
To dance with Jak o' the Shadows."

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SunofKratos on 25 January 2013

The best thin would be a semi linear game in my opinion.



Roar_Of_War on 25 January 2013

Zelda was never suppose to be a linear franchise like Uncharted. It started off and sold due to its non-linearity mixed with RPG qualities inspite of being an adventure game.

 

Asking for natural plot progression in Zelda will kill it. Maybe Uncharted can get away with that, maybe Half-Life can get away with that, but games such as Zelda and Metroid cannot get away with that. They were not born as linear story games. Your friend is wrong because he expects from Zelda the kinds of things he expects from games like Uncharted, but expecting the same exact thing from a completely different series is like wanting the franchise to kill itself.

 

By the way, TLoZ for NES isn't the only non-linear Zelda game TC. ALttP and OoT fit in that category as well.



torok on 25 January 2013

Actually, both have their respective places. Linear is better for games that relly heavily on history and want a cinematic feeling (can't imagine Uncharted as a open world game). If the history isn't the focus and all the developer want is based on player's choices, then non-linear is the way to go.



Bet with jetforcejiminy: PS4 will pass the Wii lifetime numbers.

wfz on 25 January 2013

In Ocarina of Time, you could finish some of the Adult temples in any order you wanted. Doing so did not detract ANYTHING from the story.

The idea that you need a constant forward-moving linear game in order to tell a good story is very silly to me.



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Roar_Of_War on 25 January 2013
wfz said:
In Ocarina of Time, you could finish some of the Adult temples in any order you wanted. Doing so did not detract ANYTHING from the story.

The idea that you need a constant forward-moving linear game in order to tell a good story is very silly to me.


That's because OoT had very little story. Once you became an adult the story was open, only followed by Shiek (the cutscenes didn't care what order you found her in anyway) until the end of the game.

 

OoT feels like it had a bigger story because its world is so convincing. You can sort of feel the story as you play the game.



wfz on 25 January 2013
Roar_Of_War said:
wfz said:
In Ocarina of Time, you could finish some of the Adult temples in any order you wanted. Doing so did not detract ANYTHING from the story.

The idea that you need a constant forward-moving linear game in order to tell a good story is very silly to me.


That's because OoT had very little story. Once you became an adult the story was open, only followed by Shiek (the cutscenes didn't care what order you found her in anyway) until the end of the game.

 

OoT feels like it had a bigger story because its world is so convincing. You can sort of feel the story as you play the game.

I don't recall games needing an extremely forceful, large push in story and cinematic content.



DigitalDevilSummoner on 25 January 2013

i prefer linear game progression AND non linear gameplay options, in other words gameplay that involves strategy and tactics like (some) Megaten, Disgaea, Fire Emblem, FF XIII, Resonance of fate etc



outlawauron on 25 January 2013
wfz said:
In Ocarina of Time, you could finish some of the Adult temples in any order you wanted. Doing so did not detract ANYTHING from the story.

The idea that you need a constant forward-moving linear game in order to tell a good story is very silly to me.

those choices are meaingless though. Which dungeon you finish first makes zero impact on a largely absent story.



"We'll toss the dice however they fall,
And snuggle the girls be they short or tall,
Then follow young Mat whenever he calls,
To dance with Jak o' the Shadows."

Check out MyAnimeList and my Game Collection. Owner of the 5 millionth post.

wfz on 25 January 2013
outlawauron said:
wfz said:
In Ocarina of Time, you could finish some of the Adult temples in any order you wanted. Doing so did not detract ANYTHING from the story.

The idea that you need a constant forward-moving linear game in order to tell a good story is very silly to me.

those choices are meaingless though. Which dungeon you finish first makes zero impact on a largely absent story.


It appears we're speaking in different terms. I meant non-linear gameplay/progression. You are talking about a non-linear story. If a game has an overall story that I cannot change, I prefer having a bit of flexibility in the way I can complete it (i.e. OoT. The opposite would be Uncharted). If a game has a story that I can change, then I love that as well (i.e. The Witcher).