Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

dragonhawk · 09-10-2003, 07:02 AM

Designers who forget that the players don't always see problems the same way give non-freeform games problems.

Totaly free-form games don't exist today. Even pen and paper games, unless you have a very prepared and quick thinking GM, are not totaly free-form. The psuedo free-form games (GTA, Midtown Madness, Online RPGS, etc.) mostly do a good job at covering up the holes between the "scripted" part and the free-from part.

Now games that try to look free form by letting you pick up almost anything, I hate. I was playing Return to Castle Wolfenstien. I am in a room with a secret panel above the fire place. I can pick up the stupid chairs, but can't stack them. And, I can't push a table over by the fireplace to stand on. Just dumb.

The Thief series is a pretty good version of limited free form.

Have you every seen the movie Groundhog Day? That would be a good example of a totaly free form game. Only one solition to solve the puzzle (do right and get the girl), and in a limited environment (the town), but you can do ANYTHING you want. The town is scripted to do things, but the scripts all branch based on your actions, but the people will always be at certian places at certian times. You can gain experience and skills (taking piano lessons, learning french) or just go to a movie (I like it, I have seen it hundreds of times). I think that is doable with todays technology on game platforms. I guess GTA is close to this.

09-10-2003, 07:02 AM	#11 (permalink)
dragonhawk Psycho Location: In Games.	Designers who forget that the players don't always see problems the same way give non-freeform games problems. Totaly free-form games don't exist today. Even pen and paper games, unless you have a very prepared and quick thinking GM, are not totaly free-form. The psuedo free-form games (GTA, Midtown Madness, Online RPGS, etc.) mostly do a good job at covering up the holes between the "scripted" part and the free-from part. Now games that try to look free form by letting you pick up almost anything, I hate. I was playing Return to Castle Wolfenstien. I am in a room with a secret panel above the fire place. I can pick up the stupid chairs, but can't stack them. And, I can't push a table over by the fireplace to stand on. Just dumb. The Thief series is a pretty good version of limited free form. Have you every seen the movie Groundhog Day? That would be a good example of a totaly free form game. Only one solition to solve the puzzle (do right and get the girl), and in a limited environment (the town), but you can do ANYTHING you want. The town is scripted to do things, but the scripts all branch based on your actions, but the people will always be at certian places at certian times. You can gain experience and skills (taking piano lessons, learning french) or just go to a movie (I like it, I have seen it hundreds of times). I think that is doable with todays technology on game platforms. I guess GTA is close to this. __________________ ---------------------------------------------- "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.