Oh ... I Can See Your Pop Up ... Is That Normal?
There is a school of thought amongst gamers (yes ... gamers can think ... don't go there) that although in-game worlds are artificial that they should conform to a number of real world parameters. Hence, we see the incorporation of realistic solutions being incorporated in to game worlds by developers. Physics, High Dynamic Range Lighting these are real life features which are incorporated in to game environments. However, there are many things about gaming and the worlds they inhabit which are inherently unreal.
Enemy spawn is something which is unreal. People, in real life, don't just appear in your sight when we come within a certain distance of them (although the if a tree falls in a forest argument could be applied here). Realistically, it is not possible to expect that characters in games should just sit there waiting for us to approach them. This would consume necessary system resources which are used to make the world look pretty and make the AI think realistically. Some game developers make some effort to hide enemy spawn. They create closets or areas which are spawn locations and are sometimes restricted to the player.
When enemies spawn in front of you it is like the lights coming on in the middle of sex. It completely spoils the mood.
I was showing off the destructive environment of Battlefield Bad Company to my brother. This involved loading up a grenade in to the rifle mounted launcher and letting a few rip. I focussed on a two storey house in the distance and started to lay some systematic destruction to its walls and roof. After emptying my supplies of grenades I moved a couple of metres forward in the game and two enemies spawned on the first floor of that very house. They appeared out of nowhere. Immediately they knew where I was and laid down some fire in my direction. Firstly, the AI knew where I was even though they weren't looking at me. Secondly, they appeared out of nowhere.
Suddenly the game lost a lot of its appeal.
As humans our world conforms to a world view which is the culmination of the of the way we perceive the world during our "nature vs nurture" development. For many people, their world view is structured by a belief system, such as religion, or a philosophy, or by science. Generally, this world view structures our perceptions of the world. We apply these formulas provided by religion and science to the world around us. It helps to provide our world with meaning and a structure by which to relate what we experience. When things occur in life which do not conform to this view then we can have trouble relating to these events.
In many ways my own world view attempts to conform to logic. I like it when things are structured and in a logical manner. So, when I see enemies spawning in front of my very eyes it really does affect the mood and atmosphere of the game. Suddenly my suspension of disbelief is lost.
For some gamers this is not an issue. The ghosts in Pacman spawn in a small area which is on screen and is restricted to the gamer. This has been an ever present reality for gaming since its creation. It does highlight the limitations of the hardware, but also affects growing expectation with how in game worlds are developed and implemented.
What are your expectations for in game worlds?
Enemy spawn is something which is unreal. People, in real life, don't just appear in your sight when we come within a certain distance of them (although the if a tree falls in a forest argument could be applied here). Realistically, it is not possible to expect that characters in games should just sit there waiting for us to approach them. This would consume necessary system resources which are used to make the world look pretty and make the AI think realistically. Some game developers make some effort to hide enemy spawn. They create closets or areas which are spawn locations and are sometimes restricted to the player.
When enemies spawn in front of you it is like the lights coming on in the middle of sex. It completely spoils the mood.
I was showing off the destructive environment of Battlefield Bad Company to my brother. This involved loading up a grenade in to the rifle mounted launcher and letting a few rip. I focussed on a two storey house in the distance and started to lay some systematic destruction to its walls and roof. After emptying my supplies of grenades I moved a couple of metres forward in the game and two enemies spawned on the first floor of that very house. They appeared out of nowhere. Immediately they knew where I was and laid down some fire in my direction. Firstly, the AI knew where I was even though they weren't looking at me. Secondly, they appeared out of nowhere.
Suddenly the game lost a lot of its appeal.
As humans our world conforms to a world view which is the culmination of the of the way we perceive the world during our "nature vs nurture" development. For many people, their world view is structured by a belief system, such as religion, or a philosophy, or by science. Generally, this world view structures our perceptions of the world. We apply these formulas provided by religion and science to the world around us. It helps to provide our world with meaning and a structure by which to relate what we experience. When things occur in life which do not conform to this view then we can have trouble relating to these events.
In many ways my own world view attempts to conform to logic. I like it when things are structured and in a logical manner. So, when I see enemies spawning in front of my very eyes it really does affect the mood and atmosphere of the game. Suddenly my suspension of disbelief is lost.
For some gamers this is not an issue. The ghosts in Pacman spawn in a small area which is on screen and is restricted to the gamer. This has been an ever present reality for gaming since its creation. It does highlight the limitations of the hardware, but also affects growing expectation with how in game worlds are developed and implemented.
What are your expectations for in game worlds?
posted by thecynicalgamer @ 12:05 pm
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