Adventure Gamers - Forums

Zifnab - 27 January 2015 11:45 PM

But our enjoyment of fiction requires us precisely to NOT totally separate “reality” from “fiction”. Would the figure and actions of Kurtz in Heart of Darkness affect us as they do if our attitude was simply to dismiss it all off hand and say “oh, it’s only fiction”? Of course not. We happen to be shocked, disturbed, warmed, intrigued, and embraced by books, films and games for that reason, which would not happen if we took a robotic uncaring attitude towards it simply because it happens to be written on paper. This isn’t a discussion about some schizophrenic illness of not separating reality and fiction, it’s how normal functioning humans tend to behave.

I never said people should have a robotic uncaring attitude to everything fictional.  Clearly I don’t believe that or I wouldn’t be here.

But yes, normal functioning humans will do things in a video game that they would never do in real life.  There’s no risk, there’s no one that could get hurt, it’s all just a game.

In old adventure games I’d often save and then try to find every way I could get my character killed, just to see what the game would allow me to do.  Clearly I don’t try to jump off of cliffs in real life.  But in a game, sure, why not?

There are some games that take things too far for me.  I played that Manhunt game once for a few minutes and I could not continue it.  Playing a game that dark and violent, with no sense of ethics, is not for me.

But Fahrenheit is really nothing like that.  One single murder happens and it is very relevant to the plot, and the game never acts like murder is okay.

This guy knows graphics, bloody amazing work!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=149522915&postcount=1271

Zifnab - 27 January 2015 12:19 AM

I fear you missed my point. I’m not saying games and real life are the same, but adventure games have always established very simple motives for their main characters. Sherlock’s is to solve crimes, Guybrush’s is to become a pirate, etc. Those are harmless goals no one would argue against.

Bad example. Pirates were not (are not) exactly harmless, you know. Or take playing as a thief in QFG.

Zifnab - 27 January 2015 12:19 AM

As soon as you get to “tap X to murder someone” territory, you’re going to get people asking “why?”. It’s up to you where you draw the line because it’s only a game, and for me it used to be all harmless fun. My issue isn’t that it’s harmful, it’s no longer fun. I can’t put myself in that character’s shoes any longer.

That doesn’t even describe Fahrenheit. The murder happens in the intro, before you take control of the character.

But really, if you’d framed this as “personally I don’t like to play games where my character engages in violence or does ethically wrong things,” no one would have cared. Fine, just don’t play those games, then. Your loss. But you said:

Zifnab - 25 January 2015 07:17 PM

I don’t think adventure games should have that kind of stuff. Yuck.

Which is like saying you don’t think I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, A Puzzle of Flesh, the Pandora Directive dark path, The Last Express (where you’re wanted by the police, and the first puzzle, just like in Fahrenheit, is getting rid of a dead body before you’re caught), Emily Enough, etc. etc., should exist.

I like graphics in an adventure game, but they’re not necessary.  Zork is a classic, of course, and for modern games, Cypher is really great.  No graphics.

Bt

Mr Underhill - 27 January 2015 07:49 AM

Speaking of graphics, check out these beauts from indie Dick Ricko: Case Of The Flying Dutchman, a Police-Quest style adventure.

I’m not a big fan of 3d graphics in adventure games but this guy gets it right.

I’d also love to see an adventure with 80s Monkey Punch-style graphics and animations. That’d be soooo sweet.

when are all these amazing looking kickstarter adventures going to come out? i’ve seen dozens of “wow! these guys get it!” type of AG projects at this point, and i feel like we haven’t seen ONE yet.