Should the AE remake be episodic?

[Crashpunk]

I was just about to say yeah. Pretty much any puzzle game for me is JUST for the mechanics.

[kjjcarpenter]

I was just about to say yeah. Pretty much any puzzle game for me is JUST for the mechanics.

I didn't even think about puzzle games. That should have been bloody obvious. Anything designed before 1987 would also probably fall into the same category.

What about the broader video game market? Is there a sizeable percentage of people who purchase $120, next-generation games for a specific mechanic alone? I've heard that the majority of "Call of Duty" players tend to ignore the storyline in favour of the online experience, but I would argue this attitude would be more about a competitive attitude than anything related to the mechanic (although I could be totally off the mark).

Using "Oddworld" as an example, I suppose, is there anyone on this forum who thinks the story is ancillary and only plays the games merely to enjoy the engine? I'd be very interested to hear from you.

[Xavier]

oh shit you've summoned shade

Yup, that's definitely what he's trying to do right now.

kjjcarpenter, you should talk to Shade667

[kjjcarpenter]

kjjcarpenter, you should talk to Shade667

Oh crap, I don't like the look of that winking face. Should I be afraid?

[Job McYossie]

or watching a movie only to get a kick out of the production quality.

Action movies. I didn't watch pacific rim for the deep character development, I watched it for giant fucking robots and monsters.

[Crashpunk]

EDIT: Wrong thread.

[Nepsotic]

Seriously, who plays Half-Life because of the shooter mechanics? Half-Life 3 isn't being hyped because it's a great shooter. It's being hyped because it has a great story, set in an awesome universe and people want to see the continuation/conclusion to that story.

And nothing is even known about Half-Life 3, how on earth would you know what the shooter mechanics are going to be like? For all you know it's going to be the best thing since sliced bread.

I was talking only about 2 and 1.

[Shade667]

I'm honestly curious (and no, none of this is facetious) but do people actually play a video game solely for the game mechanic? That would be the equivalent of reading a book only to experience the author's style, or watching a movie only to get a kick out of the production quality.

I can understand the appeal of a particular game mechanic being inclusive of a great experience, but I couldn't fathom anyone picking up a controller for that reason alone.

There are a few exceptions, like the wolf among us and the new kings quest (which Im thinking of picking up) that have me drawn to the story, but 99% of the time Ill get the game purely for the gameplay. Its what got me through Destiny and kept me for a hundred hours. Its not exactly the game mechanic per se, but the gameplay in general. If it feels good, and fun, then the story can be shit, and the music and everything else can be crap and Ill still have an enjoyable experience.

Im not sure if summoning me was correct cuz he was asking if someone played a game for a mechanic, rather than the gameplay as a whole, I dont know the differences.


I like stories, and character development, and music, and cinematics and all that junk, but theyre bonuses as long as the gameplay is solid. Which is what I think games should be about, the gameplay. I didnt play games like crash bandicoot and spyro for the story as a kid, so I guess thats why they took a backseat.

[Job McYossie]

Guys we need to give Shade an award that was amazing.

I can't personally understand that point of view. There are some really bad gameplay games I've played and loved because I really dug everything else. For instance (and I know I will be crucified for this) I did not at all like the majority of the gameplay for persona 3, but it had jamming music, fantastic voice acting, writing, and nice visuals for PSP.

[Slog Bait]

I've always been about gameplay and mechanics from the get go. If the art style and story are also good that's a huge bonus, but I can not for the life of me care about a game if the gameplay is bland, boring, or broken regardless of how good a story is.

I actually have a hard time understanding the appeal to a great story but a shitty game like if the game's shitty I don't think a good story helps it any it just hurts the story

At least when the story is shitty but the gameplays good you can laugh and groan about it while you're sucked into playing it

[Nepsotic]

Depends on the game. If the story sucks but the gameplay is phenomenal that would be enough to get it over the bar. If the gameplay sucks but the story's great, in a Silent Hill game, for example that would be equally as important.

[kjjcarpenter]

There are a few exceptions, like the wolf among us and the new kings quest (which Im thinking of picking up) that have me drawn to the story, but 99% of the time Ill get the game purely for the gameplay. Its what got me through Destiny and kept me for a hundred hours. Its not exactly the game mechanic per se, but the gameplay in general. If it feels good, and fun, then the story can be shit, and the music and everything else can be crap and Ill still have an enjoyable experience.

Im not sure if summoning me was correct cuz he was asking if someone played a game for a mechanic, rather than the gameplay as a whole, I dont know the differences.


I like stories, and character development, and music, and cinematics and all that junk, but theyre bonuses as long as the gameplay is solid. Which is what I think games should be about, the gameplay. I didnt play games like crash bandicoot and spyro for the story as a kid, so I guess thats why they took a backseat.

That's very interesting. Thanks for sharing! It's a great to glimpse outside of this bubble I usually live in. It suppose it's like the different types of Dungeons & Dragons players, such as the ones who play for the story, the ones who play for the character interaction, the ones who play for the fighting, the ones who play for the loot.

I honestly can't sympathise with that attitude, but it's still interesting regardless. It's actually the complete antithesis to why I play video games, where the mechanics/gameplay are ancillary to the experience of the story. The examples you use are quite interesting, because I still remember my 8-year-old self connecting the story threads of the Crash and Spyro games as if they were cousins of "The Godfather".

[Phylum]

Just saying "bad" gameplay is pretty vague too. There's bad as in broken, bad as it boring, bad as in unfair, bad as in tedious, etc. Some combinations of bad gameplay and good storytelling can still be captivating to some people, just like a really bad story can make certain people bored of really good gameplay.

Subjectivity is big.

[Shade667]

Guys we need to give Shade an award that was amazing.

I dont get the joke.

[Crashpunk]

He's being snarky.

And I agree it really depends on the game and the genre. In a platformer, you want gameplay and level design to be the best where as in an RPG, gameplay is good and all but what's the point if the story and character development isn't there.

EDIT: Sorry about that post Job. I wasn't thinking.

[Xavier]

I'm not sure that was a joke, I found the way you explained your point of view was clear and to the point.

[Crashpunk]

Oh right. Sorry got my wires crossed. I just assumed he was being sarcastic after she "can't understand that point of view"

[Shade667]

I'm not sure that was a joke, I found the way you explained your point of view was clear and to the point.

Im so used to saying something and getting joke responses.



Also, speaking of RPG's, I guess thats why the only RPG's i like are pokemon and Monster hunter.

[Varrok]

Gameplay is obviously the most important factor in games. That said, The Walking Dead etc. are not games. They're interactive movies, even the "game" calls itself that.

Also, I heard Destiny sucks and you have to shoot bosses for 15 minutes and its boring as hell and people call this game mediocre.

[Crashpunk]

Im so used to saying something and getting joke responses.

Pretty much sums to the OWF in a sentence.

[Varrok]

I have the opposite. I tell a joke and all people take it seriously.

[Job McYossie]

He's being snarky.

Okay first of all I'm a she. Second of all I was genuinely happy about shade posting on a topic that provides a newer point of view, says his view in a non-aggressive way, and didn't somehow make it about speedrunning.

Also, speaking of RPG's, I guess thats why the only RPG's i like are pokemon and Monster hunter.

Does MH even count as an RPG?

[Crashpunk]

My apologies Job, That was a very dumb moment from me. I completely misunderstood you.

I also knew your a girl. I sometimes just quickly type out my responses without too much of a thought. I didn't knew I even offended you. I've gotten so used to referring everyone as guys, it's become a habit. I meant nothing by it.

Again, Sorry

[Phylum]

Aha, now that we've completely broken Shade down we can start building him up again.

One of us, one of us.

[Shade667]

Also, I heard Destiny sucks and you have to shoot bosses for 15 minutes and its boring as hell and people call this game mediocre.

Yeah, kinda. Its like an MMO where u stand there pressing a key over and over for 20 minutes, except the gunplay feels really good. I could stand farming for hours and hours cuz it was fun just shooting things.

[Nepsotic]

I have the opposite. I tell a joke and all people take it seriously.

I know the feel, but I just kind of embrace it now.

[Varrok]

Yeah, kinda. Its like an MMO where u stand there pressing a key over and over for 20 minutes, except the gunplay feels really good. I could stand farming for hours and hours cuz it was fun just shooting things.

But that's like an opposite of speedruns! How could you like *slow* things?!

[Shade667]

But that's like an opposite of speedruns! How could you like *slow* things?!

I played games for 15 years before I found speedruns.

Ive been playing yugioh the last 3 weeks, thats like the slowest game on the planet!

[Varrok]

Everyone makes mistakes

[Job McYossie]

Varrok stop teasing him when he's not doing the thing you hate. However I unfortunately have to bring it up in relevance now.

If the game is episodic that could really hurt the speedrunners, and I have seen, off of the forums, that speedrunning N'n'T is pretty big, but if TzF is episodic I doubt the community would pick it up the same.