Adventure Gamers - Forums

chrissie - 06 February 2016 04:02 PM

This post is prompted by the inclusion of the BS series in the Guinness Book of Records next year which describes it as re-defining the point & click adventure - it’s so far been disagreed with so what game would you nominate? 

I disagree with almost every thing in the Guinness gaming edition that isn’t based on an actual numerical record.

Basically, what they do, is pick games they want to feature and then make up bullshit that they supposedly did first, without ever consulting anyone knowledgable on the subject. It’s really infuriating to someone like me who has dedicated so much time trying to trace an accurate history of games. This example is hardly unique, it’s on every page of this awful fucking book.

Strange to see some in denial of the facts (some LA fans apparently). Fortunately, Icom Simulations was pointed out (Enchanted Scepters is of interest as well).
The (almost) mere verb-noun interface was in a way a step back, compared to method of direct clicking on objects in the game window. KQ 5 multi-icon cursor was already mentioned, and Kyrandia’s (multi-functional) one-icon cursor should be mentioned in a historical overview about interface aspects as well (RW was very impressed with it and wrote an internal memo about it).

Like some suggested, it is better to ask a different question, a question about innovations or relevant changes. Some nice examples were pointed out in this thread (thanks!).
Besides the well-known questions about changes (first ag with graphics/coloured graphics, point and click interface, automap, music and the like) there is a galaxy of interesting questions and details (about inventories, puzzles, attractors, camera views, conversation options, player feedback, whatever), that sometimes get a (partial) answer, but as far as I know there doesn’t exist a comprehensive study trying to compare the implementation of the various aspects of gags. Would be a gigantic task and result in many volumes, but I would buy that Sisyphus edition immediately.

Nothing “redefined” adventure games.  They are as they have always been.

Telltale games aren’t adventure games in my opinion.  They are cinematic story games for the masses.

System shock is a first person shooter.

2 refinements over the years have been a highlight button to avoid pixel hunts which add only padding, as well as smarter cursors to eliminate keystrokes.

I guess the redefining moment was when the genre went from text to graphics and point and click.

darthmaul - 10 February 2016 04:13 PM

Nothing “redefined” adventure games.  They are as they have always been.

Telltale games aren’t adventure games in my opinion.  They are cinematic story games for the masses.

System shock is a first person shooter.

2 refinements over the years have been a highlight button to avoid pixel hunts which add only padding, as well as smarter cursors to eliminate keystrokes.

I guess the redefining moment was when the genre went from text to graphics and point and click.

I couldn’t agree more!

In what universe did Monkey Island “define it”? There were other LucasArts games with the same interface years earlier, plus other companies doing P&C. “Your favorite game” does not equal “defined the genre”.

System shock is a first person shooter.
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It’s a hybrid, but at the time it was regarded as an adventure. The ‘first person shooter’ tag only became used around 2000.

I guess the redefining moment was when the genre went from text to graphics and point and click.

A parser does not involve pointing and clicking, but typing and pressing. So there was no redefining of point & click going on in that transition.

Diego, I fear a misunderstanding happened, as Venkman doesn’t equal “first” and “define.” V. is right to reassert that MI didn’t define the genre, and states -two-valid reasons. Why would it define it instead of Maniac Mansion, or King’s Quest 5? Those are indeed non-sensical claims by fans, or just rhetorics, as is the claim about Broken Sword. Like V. said, (in general) such opinions just tell something about one’s favorite game.

But Diego would insist that “popularizing” doesn’t equal “define”. ;-) The problem with this new claim (popularized the genre) is that I don’t know if there’s any research to support it (however, the chosen example does a good job of course to provoke Sierra fans).

Let’s think about this. If Monkey Island redefined point & click adventure, what defined it in the first place?