Trying out something you know you hate

[emma]

What would it take for you to try out something you KNOW you hate. Like if you think Myst stinks, what would it take for you to try it? (Try to make this a friendly thread, no hate postings, please! *puppy dog eyes*)

Personally I'm sitting here trying to figure out what it would take for me to try out a shooter, I mean trying it out seriously, not a few seconds of adrenaline, stress and horror, LOL! I can't really think of any right now... *wrecking my brain* A sexy, naked dude serving me drinks? Nah.... Gotta be somert IN the game. Probably if the shooting was on my terms, as in if nothing happens until I'm shooting or whatnot. Yeah, if the reaction of the game is based on my actions, instead of the other way around, I suppose... *needs to think some more*

Anyways, what would it take for you, and which game/genre?

[nordic_guy]

If I was to try one of those mean arcade games like tetris or whatever, I had to be the only one who could get in the Highscore list and...uhm...it would have to be really easy for me, and dead hard for everyone else. But since they wouldn't get in anyway, it wouldn't really matter. :devil:
But, yeah. I hate those games where everything is depending on your scores, because somehow I never score.
(Not that I'm hating. Happy, happy!)

[remixor]

Well, in the precise case of Myst, it looks like Uru might be the thing to get me to try it. It just looks really interesting, I suppose. Kind of a boring reason ;)

For shooters with me, it takes a lot of recommendations and a good story. I'm absolutely terrible at shooters, and I don't enjoy them as a genre (never played one for more than a little bit), so a shooter has got to be pretty damn good for me to try it. At the moment, however, it looks like there are actually two upcoming shooters that look rather appealing to me: Max Payne 2 and XIII. l really like the style of XIII, and apparently the source material is quite cool, and it seems to be shaping out to be quite a complete game. I'm not quite AS confident in that one as in Max Payne 2 though (for me at least). Everything I heard about the first one suggested that if I actually would play a shooter I may enjoy that one, and the second one just looks fabulous and that cheesy melodramatic trailer for some reason has me salivating. Go figure :rolleyes:

I've never seriously played a computer RPG, unless you theoretically count QFG, because they always seem rather boring to me. Everyone seems to say that Planescape: Torment is like TEH BEST GAME EVAR!!1 though, so I think I'll try that one out.

Never played a hunting game, never will :rolleyes:

[Erwin_Br]

Sometimes I have the same experience when I want to work on my project (that bad timing game, you know). There are weekends when I don't feel like working on it for even a second. I actually have to force myself and then slowly, after I've been working on it for say 30 minutes, I'm starting to enjoy it again and feel motivated.

So maybe the same goes with games you don't really want to play, although you might not enjoy it even after playing it for 30 minutes. In that case you can be pretty sure you *really* hate the game :P

--Erwin

[Nellie]

It wouldn't take anything. I'm always looking to play games that I think are going to be poopants, just to see if I was right.

Syberia really doesn't seem like my cup of tea - easy puzzles and limited interaction (two of my pet peeves in adventures), but because it's so loved I absolutely have to play it, just to see what I'll really think about it. Same with GK2.

[Kode]

1) A jolly good show.

That's all it takes from me. I used to be a shooter-hater too, but once came the day when I played the demo of Medal of Honor, and I fell in love. I got it. I played it. A lot. Although, I've dried out all the replayability from it by now, and don't play it anymore, it remains the only shooter I've ever enjoyed, and still can enjoy, and that's because it put forth a jolly good show. ;)

Myst looks good, Syberia looks good, TLJ looks good, but they haven't pulled me to them like MOHAA did. And since they aren't the kind of games I think I would enjoy, I haven't given them much of a chance. Unfortunate as it may seem.

2) Lack of a jolly good show.

When there's no jolly good shows around, I gotta do something. Sometimes boredom introduces me to excellent games, which I would normally not bother playing. One such example is Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines. I had nothing to do, the game seemed silly, but oh well, it was something to do; and for the next couple of months the Commandos whipped me left and right and showed me who's boss :o Today, I love that game. I'm still only at Lvl 6 out of 20 :rolleyes:

3) Bucksees

If I was paid to play, I would play. :D Unfortunately, it has never happened.

4) Freebies

If I was given a game, as a gift, that I thought I didn't like, I'd first beat up the gifter (just kidding) and then convince myself to play it. If it's good, awesome, if not, meh.

Sadly, no innovative adventure game has ever attracted me through a jolly good show. Perhaps BS3 might...

[twifkak]

What would it take for you to try out something you KNOW you hate.... *puppy dog eyes*
That usually does it.

WRT action: You just need to find the right "bridge" game. I don't really know what it is, but good luck. ;)

[ragnar]

If it is hate as in "it is a really bad game", the nothing would make me play it.
I generally don't have that much bias towards some specific genre, I try most things I get my hands on when it comes to games, so the general answer is I think if someone gets me the game I will probably try it out.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

What would it take for me to try out something I KNOW I hate? Um, emma, that question contradicts itself. I don't KNOW that I hate it until I try it, hon. But then it does point out the little bigotry, before the fact, that we gamers are guilty of.

Two types of games I have absolutely zero interest in are sims (flight, boats, etc.) and sports. The idea of a simulator game is to reproduce as realistically as possible the experience of actually handling a vehicle. Same idea with sports games (athletic reproduction) but there's a different set of challenges. Yet there are concepts, features, and activities in other genres that can never be reproduced in the physical world, and those are what draw me to those kinds of games. If I were given a choice to play the ultimate flight sim or sign up for a 30 hour lesson to learn to fly a small plane, hell I'd sign up for the lesson! Screw the flight sim.

RPGs have always marginally intrigued me, but gawd demmit, why is practically every one of them set in a stupid fantasy world of hack-n-slashiness? I don't like orcs, I don't like magicians, I don't like mages, I don't like beating a rat 500 times just to earn skill points. I do, however, like the idea of skills and resource management, even though I suck at them (allusion to real life). So far the only RPG I want to play (and will eventually get) is Neverwinter Nights, primarily because has many elements I'm attracted to - a persistent story with an investigative theme, rotational 3D graphics with camera that can zoom in, easy to learn interface. I've played the demo, and I want to try it.

[Zanthia]

In game where there is shooting and scoring. Only if I almost never get killed and monsters/ rivals easely and if scoring is easy for me or can be cancelled.

[justG]

Getting me to play a strategy game would require that the concept not put me to sleep before I start the game.

I've always wanted to try a flight sim, but all those buttons on the super duper joysticks have scared me away.

I don't really have anything against any other type of game. I sorta like shooters, occasionally, and was obsessed with Doom when it first came out (wonder if I still have those wads somewhere..), but these days I can't play them for more than a coupla minutes before getting severely nauseated.

Oh, one thing that is absolutely required for me to play any game in which I can die, is... a cheat code for unlimited health :D

[DaveGilbert]

I rented "Metroid Prime" the other week. Not a big fan of fps but read a number of glowing reviews. After an hour I remembered why I don't play fps games in general - motion sickness!1! Maybe I'm just getting older but playing those games make my stomach queasy. Does anyone else have this problem?

-Dave

[ragnar]

What would it take for me to try out something I KNOW I hate? Um, emma, that question contradicts itself. I don't KNOW that I hate it until I try it, hon. But then it does point out the little bigotry, before the fact, that we gamers are guilty of.

Two types of games I have absolutely zero interest in are sims (flight, boats, etc.) and sports. The idea of a simulator game is to reproduce as realistically as possible the experience of actually handling a vehicle. Same idea with sports games (athletic reproduction) but there's a different set of challenges. Yet there are concepts, features, and activities in other genres that can never be reproduced in the physical world, and those are what draw me to those kinds of games. If I were given a choice to play the ultimate flight sim or sign up for a 30 hour lesson to learn to fly a small plane, hell I'd sign up for the lesson! Screw the flight sim.

Now, both simulations and sport games fulfill the purpose of you playing the things in real life without danger and things that you would never be able to do in real life. I think it is fun to play realistic F1 games and Rally games. But I would never ever even think about getting into one. It is far too dangerous. I once got the opportunity to play a real simulator (not one of those lame consumer products, but one they use to develop the plane) of the Swedish fighter JAS 39 Gripen. Now that was a really interesting experience (it was very easy to fly btw :)).

RPGs have always marginally intrigued me, but gawd demmit, why is practically every one of them set in a stupid fantasy world of hack-n-slashiness? I don't like orcs, I don't like magicians, I don't like mages, I don't like beating a rat 500 times just to earn skill points. I do, however, like the idea of skills and resource management, even though I suck at them (allusion to real life). So far the only RPG I want to play (and will eventually get) is Neverwinter Nights, primarily because has many elements I'm attracted to - a persistent story with an investigative theme, rotational 3D graphics with camera that can zoom in, easy to learn interface. I've played the demo, and I want to try it.
Yes, RPG:s often have fantasy worlds with much hack and slash. You should try out Geneforge (http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge). It is the most interesting RPG I've played. It features a really interesting story, even if it is much of hack and slash you can often solve your problems through using mechanics skills etc. Very openended. You should try it!

[Huz]

A game which combines something I hate with something I like can often compel me to try it, hoping that one aspect will outweigh the other. The example of a FPS with a decent plot is a good one[1].

As another example, one that actually applies to me, I can't stand RPGs - I think they're the dullest genre ever. However, I was willing to give Farscape - The Game a try because I love Farscape. I soon realised that I'd rather play a game involving setting fire to my limbs, but at least I gave it a try.

[1] Not for me though - I love a bit of mindless blasting anyway. :)

[fov]

some really really really good reviews (or endorsements from people who have the same taste in games as me), and access to a free or very cheap copy. for example, i never would have tried final fantasy 8 if my (then) boyfriend hadn't been playing it on his playstation.

oh, it also helps for me not to realize that a game is action/adventure or whatever, rather than adventure. that's how i wound up with nocturne... and it took me a little while to get into it, but i'm enjoying it now.

:) emily

[emma]

But then it does point out the little bigotry, before the fact, that we gamers are guilty of.

You're very gratious to say we, Trep my dear, LOL! I did got to think after the p&c thread, and how many racks down on stuff we know next to nothing about because we haven't tried it. You know, I gave Jaf a copy of Myst when I visited him! ;) I never really PLAYED a shooter, but still I "know" I hate them. I mean, this is something interesting, so I figured I'd try a different approach in my mind. Hence the "what would it take..." *D

[emma]

oh, it also helps for me not to realize that a game is action/adventure or whatever, rather than adventure. that's how i wound up with nocturne... and it took me a little while to get into it, but i'm enjoying it now.

Oh, great point! I think I might be less reluctant if I don't really know, LOL! Gotta get somebody to "fool" me... :P

[Ninja Dodo]

I used to absolutely detest shooters. Then I played Half Life. What won me over was basically the atmosphere, genious level design and excellent storytelling even with only a hint of a plot. This is still what I look for in a shooter. (preferably with an interesting plot also but at least with good storytelling) Max Payne and Deus Ex, I very much enjoyed and I'm greatly looking forward to the sequels of these games. I'd very much like to play Medal of Honor at some point too.

Another thing I never really saw the point of and actually still don't is pen and paper RPGs and their computer equivalent. I'm just bored out of my skull by all those statistics. However, some RPGs that I do enjoy are Deus Ex (mostly shooter but part RPG), Gothic and Ocarina of Time, because there the statistics don't matter all that much. It's more about the aesthetics of developing a character rather than the mathematical precision.

I tried the Neverwinter Nights demo and never bothered with it again. I just found the interface boring and impersonal, like you weren't really part of the experience... but most of all what really just completely destroyed it for me was this line: "Go talk to my brother at the south end of the room."

I'm sorry but I just cannot stand bad dialogue and that has got to be some of the worst I've read. Not having voice acting was bad in itself but this could have been made up for by excellent writing but-- *shudders*... well, that was most definitely not excellent writing. These guys should go and watch some Tarantino films.

[Wajus]

What would it take for you to try out something you KNOW you hate. (...) no hate postings, please!

Good one emma ;)

It is very hard for me to answer this question as I'm really trying to avoid pre-hating things. I may be a little prejudiced to some elments or traits of things that I know that of. So for the sake of the thread:

I think it would take an impulse. Just like that. Irrational behaviour. I saw how Simon 3D looks for example and it scares me away. But all this talk nad fuss around it makes me wanna play it. There's no real reason behind that kind of behaviour really. But it can be a real fun sometimes. Especially when the thing you thought would be horrible turns out to be at least at a moderate level

The second option would be already mentioned "bridge". Any connection with something you already know and love/like can be helpful or even motivative.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/june02/gta3pc/13s.jpg

emma, this is gonna sound far fetched, but you might want to try Grand Theft Auto 3. It has everything you hate - action, timed challenges, violence - and everything you love - strong story, characters, exploration. It occured to me you might get a kick out of this, especially as I can picture you trying to outrun cops, mugging pedestrians for money, stealing cars, and generally terrorizing everyone, all while intermittently sipping a glass of wine and sampling an excellent Camembert. The level of activity is virtually bottomless within the rules of the game, and it emcompasses some of the strongest aspects of adventure games.

[Erwin_Br]

Sometimes it's fun to play something that you don't like. To see how bad it can get, or something.

Compare it to watching a really old, huuuuuuge, fat woman eating hamburgers at McDonalds in a very unsavoury/disgusting way. You don't want to see it, but you can't take your eyes off of it either.

--Erwin

[ragnar]

Hey, Intrepid. You didn't make a response to my post! Why not?

[remixor]

Hey, Intrepid. You didn't make a response to my post! Why not?

He doesn't like you. I don't like you either.
[/retarded and fairly obscure quote]

;)

[Tamara]

heh, and not entirely accurate either, if it's quoting what I think it's quoting :D

emma: I'm like you, I hate action games, because I'm terrible at them, don't react fast enough and don't know what to do .. I'm hilarious to watch if I try to, though, 'cause I almost piss my pants at times :P

BUT (you just knew there was a but, didn't you? ;)) the one and only action game I have ever managed to play without getting horribly killed within seconds of loading is Max Payne. Now I didn't finish it, but that was mainly cos I got bored, but I did get 3/4 way through, which is great for me .. I found it incredibly fun, too, till the novelty wore off. The thing with that particular game is that the Bullet Time makes it more forgiving in a way .. gives you more space. If you really wanna try an action game, I'd try that (although watch someone play for a bit first to see how to use the bullet time .. )

Trep: for someone who bashes ' I already hate ... ' so much, you seem to me to be remarkably bigoted towards RPGs :) You reel off a list of derivative points that show you've never tried some of the finest examples. And no, if you're looking for a quality single player RPG, I wouldn't recommend NWN (at least, not the original game itself). Lots of RPGs are just like adventure games, but without some of the annoying genre conventions .. turn-based fighting is very often like NWN's (yes, that IS turn based), and if stats aren't your thing, there are games which offer stripped down versions (PS:T, Anachronox), although I'm relatively certain you'll wanna go on to the real thing once you play around with a simplified version first.

Ninja Dodo: I know I keep banging on about this game, but really, it's worth it. PS:T has some of the most brilliant writing ever seen in a computer game .. and it's by far the deepest and most thoughtful game I've ever played.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I played a bit of the Anachronox demo, Tamz, but as soon as the turn based combat started I said, "F@#k, no. NO! This is utter sh!t, " and uninstalled the game. I hate the idea of:

computer: "Okay, I'll start. Left hook up, force spell."

[character fights]

me: "Ouch. My turn. Right kick, left punch, grab-n-hold spell."

[character fights]

computer: "Whoah, that hurt. Upward thrust, knee kick, and lightning spell."

See what I mean? It sucks out all the immediacy and adrenaline for me whenever I have to pause and 'program' the game.

[Tamara]

There is turn based and turn based, Trep. Anachronox is a type of turn-based I don't like. NWN, PS:T, BG and others all use a totally different type of turn based so that you don't notice the system is being used. Now that, I like, and so do you, I assume, since you enjoyed the demo.

(incidentally, though I don't like Anox's system, I can live with it in that game, since it doesn't take itself at all seriously. It wouldn't work in truly deep and epic RPGs though. IMO.)

[Wajus]

That's where all the magic is Trep. Especially in Fallout when gun fights are a bit "westerny". You know I shot at you with my peacemaker and then hide behind that barrel to reload, then you come out from behind the cart and start shooting in my direction with your winchester. Eventually you die and I take your woman... I mean man... I mean, eh... winchester :shifty: Whatever.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

LOL, Wajus. You can have a cookie instead, as I don't have a woman... I mean man... I mean, eh... winchester. I guess it's how turn based is implemented in a game for me. In Anachronox, as well as Final Fantasy X, I hated it when an adversary appeared and then the HUD window appeared, the action stopped, and I was expected to make my combat choices. I felt I was rudely yanked out of the action which I wanted to experience in real time. There has to be a better way to transit smoothly from choosing combat moves to watching them being executed. But as it currently stands I'd rather have direct control over my character during the heat of combat.

[Tamara]

There has to be a better way to transit smoothly from choosing combat moves to watching them being executed.
Arg! yes! And that better way is the method used in NWN, PS:T, etc .. are you ignoring me? :D

[Henke]

The answer to this question is simple. It's money, and it would take a lot of them for me to play a strategy game. :D

No I seriously do every thing I can to try out different kinds of games, listen to all kinds of music and watch different kinds of movies in order to find out what's good and bad in my opinion. I don't want to risk missing out on something that is good.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Ah, no, Tamzilla, I wasn't ignoring you. I never actually felt that NWN's combat system was turn based. All I did was equip my weapon of choice and then clicked on an enemy and my avatar just did all the work. I didn't need to pause the game, hence I didn't feel rudely jolted out of the action.

[pleto4_ryan]

I don't actually hate any game, mostly even i don't like them i may try them to just check them out...

(for another example, in movies i hated T3, but i was dragged to see it....So yes, friends may make me trying something that i hate....(and seeing that T-X was a little reason :p ) )

[Tamara]

LMAO! Trep! THATS MY POINT *shakes him silly* :P

it doesn't feel like turn-based, but it still is. That's the system most (c)RPGs use. (You CAN pause the game, though, and in later battles you probably will have to, to keep up .. in that way the game is as fast or as slow as you want it to be)

Oh and for those of you who would never try strategy: I would never play the normal boring strategy games either, but I definitely recommend Startopia to *anyone* .. by the same people who made Theme Park .. greak sense of humour and great fun to play, not boring at all :)

[rampant]

Personally I'm sitting here trying to figure out what it would take for me to try out a shooter, I mean trying it out seriously, not a few seconds of adrenaline, stress and horror, LOL! I can't really think of any right now... *wrecking my brain* A sexy, naked dude serving me drinks? Nah.... Gotta be somert IN the game. Probably if the shooting was on my terms, as in if nothing happens until I'm shooting or whatnot. Yeah, if the reaction of the game is based on my actions, instead of the other way around, I suppose... *needs to think some more*


Look for a shooter that has a god mode cheat.


Anyways, what would it take for you, and which game/genre?

When I first started playing games, I didn't know much about genres and was willing to try anything with nice-looking screenshots on the box. Not anymore.

I do try some action-oriented games, though I don't generally play them. For example Alice had such an interesting gameworld, sometimes beautiful, sometimes bizarre. And it also had a god mode cheat.

I tried Outcast because so many people recommended it and said it was very much like an adventure game in some ways. It also had a god mode cheat. It's always important for me that an action-oriented game has cheats or trainers or a saved game editor or something because I am ROTTEN at reflex-oriented stuff.

One of the first games I bought when I started gaming was the first Tomb Raider game. Because I liked the controls and the exploration aspect, I continued buying Tomb Raider games up through Chronicles. I don't know if I'll get the latest TR game though. From what I've read, they loused up the controls. The appeal of Tomb Raider (for me) is playing a character who sort of has super powers - able to leap large gaps in a single bound, able to push immense objects many times her weight, etc.

Well, those are some games I enjoyed. There have also been many action-oriented games I tried which I did NOT enjoy for one reason or another, including Unreal, Wheel of Time, Hexen 2, and Deus Ex. I quit playing Unreal early on because the gameplay was so boring. Wheel of Time I finished, but did not enjoy because of bugs, the difficulty level, and the unathletic protagonist. Hexen 2 gave me the worst motion sickness I ever had in a game. Deus Ex I may finish someday. I quit playing because it bored me, though I did get through the first few levels and it's still installed on my computer. The gameworld was just too monotonous and I didn't particularly care for the gameplay.

some other genres:

I tried Combat Flight Simulator exactly once. I don't think I'll try any more simulation games. There just wasn't much to see there.

I don't know if anything would make me play a straight strategy game. I don't like a bunch of complicated rules to read at the beginning of a game. I did try one older strategy game, which came on a CD with a bunch of other games. I decided it was not worth finishing - or even getting past the first level. If it had been the only game I owned, I might have persevered a little longer. But it wasn't. So I didn't.

[Royal Fool]

I think I like all sorts of games... there's no certain genre I 'hate'. It's just that some games suck and some don't. (The ones that don't are few and far between, though)

I rented "Metroid Prime" the other week. Not a big fan of fps but read a number of glowing reviews. After an hour I remembered why I don't play fps games in general - motion sickness!1! Maybe I'm just getting older but playing those games make my stomach queasy. Does anyone else have this problem?

-Dave

Well, I've never had motion sickness problems from FPS games., but I know a few who do. It's still not that common among us Westerners, I think, if sales numbers are anything to go by.

The Japanese are very prone to getting motion sickness, though. A big reason that games like Halo and Metroid Prime weren't big sellers there. (Regardless of the install bases for the games' respective platforms)

[Phil25]

Yes, RPG:s often have fantasy worlds with much hack and slash. You should try out Geneforge (http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/geneforge). It is the most interesting RPG I've played. It features a really interesting story, even if it is much of hack and slash you can often solve your problems through using mechanics skills etc. Very openended. You should try it! 'trep is a graphics whore, he wouldn't be seen in the same building as Geneforge if he could help it, but yeah, it's an excellent game {still haven't completed it though}.

[ragnar]

'trep is a graphics whore, he wouldn't be seen in the same building as Geneforge if he could help it, but yeah, it's an excellent game {still haven't completed it though}.

Yes, but I didn't think Intrepid would be so narrowminded to only play games with jawdropping graphics. Although geneforge isn't very impressive graphic-wise, it is very well done and have clear graphics. And considering it is a _very_ small company making it it gets more impressive with the amount of story details there are.

[Ninja Dodo]

PS: T... Planescape: Torment?

Well, I did say that some games manage to not make too much of a fuss about numbers and instead cocentrate on the characters and story. That sort of game I can enjoy. Planescape may or may not be like that. I haven't played it, so I don't know.

I bought Morrowind recently. Haven't played it much yet but it seems like an interesting game. Too bad most of the dialogue isn't spoken... at least the writing's decent though.

I wish there was a form of speech generation where you could take a number of samples from an actor's voice and then use that to create new speech from text. The actor would only have to do a few sentences in a number of different styles (angry, suspicious, sad, happy, etc.) and the game could generate all the other dialog itself from that by recognizing the sound patterns and reusing them creatively. It would probably lack the nuances of real acting but it might work pretty well anyway...

[Tamara]

PS: T... Planescape: Torment?

Well, I did say that some games manage to not make too much of a fuss about numbers and instead cocentrate on the characters and story. That sort of game I can enjoy. Planescape may or may not be like that. I haven't played it, so I don't know.
Try it then. By what you've said, I can almost guarantee you'll love it :)

[Ninja Dodo]

I definitely will if I come across it some time...

[Phil25]

I second that motion. Great story, great characters.

[twifkak]

I wish there was a form of speech generation where you could take a number of samples from an actor's voice and then use that to create new speech from text. The actor would only have to do a few sentences in a number of different styles (angry, suspicious, sad, happy, etc.) and the game could generate all the other dialog itself from that by recognizing the sound patterns and reusing them creatively. It would probably lack the nuances of real acting but it might work pretty well anyway...
Well, with today's technology and a bit of work, we could record enough dialogue to cover all of the phonemes (the "Quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" of speech) and then plug them into existing speech synthesizers to synth a dude's voice. This is how the phoneme banks for speech synths are done in the first place, I believe. Speech synth is even to a point where it sounds pretty fuckin' natural. The hard part (and the part actors get paid for) is putting the inflection in there to sound cute, witty, evil, or sexy (the four pillars of a Hollywood movie). Inflecting speech is possible (and is also done, though not very well), but the inflections would have to be hand-crafted.

[Ninja Dodo]

I think if the system was done in a way that it had different versions of phonomes with varying emotions, though it obviously would never match the quality of a real performance, it would be much better than silence. Provided it's done in a good way, I think this definitely has potential for dialogue heavy games, particularly ones that are very dynamic and non-linear.

[twifkak]

The problem is emotion is more often expressed through inflection -- general pitch level, and the contour of the pitch and volume over the entire sentence. A phoneme is just a tiny bit -- a "ss" or "th" or "uh" or something. The only thing different with those would, for example, when you're mad, you might make your "ss"s sound a little more like "th"s than usual or something. It's the macro stuff, like inflection and timing, that requires much more crafting.

Of course, this is all just observation. I have never worked on a text-to-speech prog in my life.