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There are many parts to a game; the music, gameplay, graphics, physics, art (aside from graphics), online capabilities.
They may all be good but if you had to pick one above all the others, which would it be?
For me, the gameplay is the obvious one. But being honest, I don't know if I'd play a game if the graphics were so bad that I couldn't see the characters or what to do very easily and yet I could possibly put up with bad music.
So my list would be:
1.Gameplay
2.Graphics
3.Online Multiplayer
4.Offline Multiplayer
5.music
They may all be good but if you had to pick one above all the others, which would it be?
For me, the gameplay is the obvious one. But being honest, I don't know if I'd play a game if the graphics were so bad that I couldn't see the characters or what to do very easily and yet I could possibly put up with bad music.
So my list would be:
1.Gameplay
2.Graphics
3.Online Multiplayer
4.Offline Multiplayer
5.music
Neckarb wrote:
> 4) Witty details
I like it!
> 4) Witty details
I like it!
Mine would be:
1) Gameplay
2) Offline Multiplayer
3) Graphics
4) Witty details
5) Online multiplayer
1) Gameplay
2) Offline Multiplayer
3) Graphics
4) Witty details
5) Online multiplayer
Yah! someone enjoyed a rant of mine lol.
I do miss the good old days of all sitting there and battling it out to be the best player. But Online is so much more effective, like you say no cheating by looking on screens.
Goldeneye 64 - released again on Xbox 360, with Online multiplayer. Would it be as good? Or would everyone just say, meh, COD4 is better?
I do miss the good old days of all sitting there and battling it out to be the best player. But Online is so much more effective, like you say no cheating by looking on screens.
Goldeneye 64 - released again on Xbox 360, with Online multiplayer. Would it be as good? Or would everyone just say, meh, COD4 is better?
pb wrote:
> There are many parts to a game; the music, gameplay, graphics,
> physics, art (aside from graphics), online capabilities.
>
> They may all be good but if you had to pick one above all the
> others, which would it be?
>
> For me, the gameplay is the obvious one. But being honest, I
> don't know if I'd play a game if the graphics were so bad that I
> couldn't see the characters or what to do very easily and yet I
> could possibly put up with bad music.
>
> So my list would be:
>
> 1.Gameplay
> 2.Graphics
> 3.Online Multiplayer
> 4.Offline Multiplayer
> 5.music
I couldn't really order my top 5. The most important to me however would be Online & Multiplayer Gameplay. While I really appreciate great graphics (on my lovely 42" plasma), I'm more than happy to play pixelated retro games too.
> There are many parts to a game; the music, gameplay, graphics,
> physics, art (aside from graphics), online capabilities.
>
> They may all be good but if you had to pick one above all the
> others, which would it be?
>
> For me, the gameplay is the obvious one. But being honest, I
> don't know if I'd play a game if the graphics were so bad that I
> couldn't see the characters or what to do very easily and yet I
> could possibly put up with bad music.
>
> So my list would be:
>
> 1.Gameplay
> 2.Graphics
> 3.Online Multiplayer
> 4.Offline Multiplayer
> 5.music
I couldn't really order my top 5. The most important to me however would be Online & Multiplayer Gameplay. While I really appreciate great graphics (on my lovely 42" plasma), I'm more than happy to play pixelated retro games too.
Emmie87 wrote:
> So I know you will be thinking, surely the offline multiplayer
> has to be as important as the Online, well yes, but then again it
> is harder these days to get 3 mates together for some gaming. In
> the good old days of Goldeneye then I wouldn’t change sitting
> round my friends, playing vs mode on Stack for the best online
> mode in the world. It was close between this and music for
> fourth, because you want to hear the gun fire and the shouting
> team mates falling in battle. So a very close one on this genre
> but always one of the hardest to get right in my opinion because
> all the factors are important. Most the other genres I have found
> one which I can really go without. In this case it would probably
> be the music, but only just!
I know what you mean, back in the day we didn't have online gaming so it was normal, but as soon as the online element came along we realised the possibilities. Now sitting around the same screen isn't an option for most shooters as you can see exactly what the other players are doing.
This isn't the same for fighters, though. Take MK vs DC or Streetfighter IV, they really benefit from offline multiplayer and always will.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your 'rant' Emmie, you make some good points.
> So I know you will be thinking, surely the offline multiplayer
> has to be as important as the Online, well yes, but then again it
> is harder these days to get 3 mates together for some gaming. In
> the good old days of Goldeneye then I wouldn’t change sitting
> round my friends, playing vs mode on Stack for the best online
> mode in the world. It was close between this and music for
> fourth, because you want to hear the gun fire and the shouting
> team mates falling in battle. So a very close one on this genre
> but always one of the hardest to get right in my opinion because
> all the factors are important. Most the other genres I have found
> one which I can really go without. In this case it would probably
> be the music, but only just!
I know what you mean, back in the day we didn't have online gaming so it was normal, but as soon as the online element came along we realised the possibilities. Now sitting around the same screen isn't an option for most shooters as you can see exactly what the other players are doing.
This isn't the same for fighters, though. Take MK vs DC or Streetfighter IV, they really benefit from offline multiplayer and always will.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your 'rant' Emmie, you make some good points.
Gameplay all the way for me.Streetfighter IV was fantastic IMO,yet you could still basically play it like Super Streetfighter II Turbo if you wanted to ?.The Guitar Hero/Rock Band franchises both have very simple gameplay mechanics (match the on screen colour with its matching button !),chuck in a bit of Karaoke for good measure and the end result is that they are both tremendous fun.Graphics and online multiplayer systems will continue to improve as they always have but great gameplay never dates.
Well I would really have to say it depends on the genre of game for me. I would probably have to agree as an overall with your ranking, but then if I was to look at it closer it would probably change.
RPG
One of my favourite genres and a hard one to choose on the ranking side of things. You have game play at the top of your list and this would surely include the battle system and overall story, then it would still be top of the list. In a list I would have to put it in the following;
1. Game play
2. Graphics
3. Music
4. Online Multiplayer
5. Offline Multiplayer
While the multiplayer has gone down, I am basing it on the assumption of MMORPG that normally occur a £10 per month charge, I have no time for these kind of games and so it has been places low on the list. If it was one without a fee then it would probably come in 3rd, but I still think it takes a lot of time and dedication to play a MMORPG.
The graphics are in second again, but this is not because I want the best graphics available like Final Fantasy always delivers, because some of the time I really like playing an older RPG that has been brought back from the dead. Like Chrono Trigger or Breath of Fire. While the graphics are not those of Resident Evil I think they suit the game style better at times and so making the graphics important again.
Music is a nice touch in RPG�s and will often have their own Soundtrack album released due to the high level of work that goes into it. Every RPG fan knows the battle music for Final Fantasy, the victory song and all the different emotions it can make you feel as Sephiroth walks through the flames to the amazing music. It is an attribute that is commonly acknowledged in a good RPG, and not so much in other genres.
Offline Multiplayer I can only say a game like the .HACK series, to which I felt it tried to be like an online ROG but just didn�t really work in my opinion, I think if you want to play a ROG with someone else then it has to be a MMORPG and you have to put the hours in to get the better weapons and level up. If you have the time and dedication then I know the rewards in the game are massive and you can have some great times playing, but the cost of it for me is far too high. I would rather pay £60 up front and not have to pay again.
Platform
Again a genre I really like and if all the elements are there then the experience is fantastic, games like Mario are born and for me the platform games with a mix of adventure (Ratchet & Clank + Jak) are among some of my favourite games! The list again is slightly different;
1. Game play
2. Graphics
3. Online Multiplayer
4. Offline Multiplayer
5. Music
The list is not too different, but once again I think the game play is the biggest factor as it spans such a large area. No one wants to play a platform game that took no time at all to make, and just involves a few jumps and collecting a coin here or there. We want new features where we can use veichles, get power ups and find rare items. You know the kind of thing I mean, like getting the ability to double jump etc etc.
The graphics have appeared in slot number 2 again and this is due to the same reason as the RPG�s, I like to play a game with cutting edge graphics, but then again, give me a nice clean cut version of Mario Bros 3 and I am just as happy as the next gamer. So the graphics can be cel-shaded or of the highest quality, but if they suit the game and go well it is a key ingredient.
Online Multiplayer takes the 3rd spot this time due to I like playing online, in any game as long as I don�t have to pay (of course I don�t mind DLC, but I don�t like being charged for the standard online lol) Multiplayer adds life to a game, it keeps things fresh and being online is just a way to play even more people and adds the extra factor of ranking higher and having that feeling of knowing your better than someone else at a game! It does not always work well in a platform game, and my only real experience of this is on Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, the idea was fun and the few times I played online, despite being awful at it, I had fun. The main issue was not enough people were online by the time I found the game!
The offline multiplayer is pretty much the same as above, but not too many of my mates like the platform games and so being online is a better option than not on this front.
The music in a Platform game is not too important for me, I am of course always glad to hear a nice melody in the background that suits the environment, but then I could happily play the game on mute with my own choice of music as I do not feel it adds as much as the other aspects and so it makes 5th on the list this time.
Shooters (FPS and third)
Call of Duty, Gears of War, Far Cry are just a few of the games I have played in the last year and a half and really enjoyed from this / these genres. So the list for this one goes as follows;
1. Game play
2. Online Multiplayer
3. Graphics
4. Offline Multiplayer
5. Music
It sounds horrible almost that I am ranking all the above in these genres as they all have to be right to make a great game! But that is not the point of the topic lol, so anyway, the game play aspect really links in with the online multiplayer side of things. COD4 had it spot on, it plays great and the Online was brilliant. There are rewards for going up ranks, better guns to get, perks etc. first and second place in this game merge as one to be a top spot really. I lost hours Online to COD4 and it was because it was addictive.
The graphics are a big factor in this aswell, it looked real and made you feel like you was part of it all, i think having the top next-gen graphics in this game is key, as it is all about being realistic. I has to come in third just due to how important that two above are.
So I know you will be thinking, surely the offline multiplayer has to be as important as the Online, well yes, but then again it is harder these days to get 3 mates together for some gaming. In the good old days of Goldeneye then I wouldn�t change sitting round my friends, playing vs mode on Stack for the best online mode in the world. It was close between this and music for fourth, because you want to hear the gun fire and the shouting team mates falling in battle. So a very close one on this genre but always one of the hardest to get right in my opinion because all the factors are important. Most the other genres I have found one which I can really go without. In this case it would probably be the music, but only just!
I think I may have gone on long enough but a nice post there pb and one which inspired me to go on this rant lol. I enjoyed thinking about each aspect of the genres and what is important to me, because I think doing this makes you think more about the game you are playing or going to buy, and appreciate the game when all the components have been done well. Hope I didn�t bore any of you too much!
RPG
One of my favourite genres and a hard one to choose on the ranking side of things. You have game play at the top of your list and this would surely include the battle system and overall story, then it would still be top of the list. In a list I would have to put it in the following;
1. Game play
2. Graphics
3. Music
4. Online Multiplayer
5. Offline Multiplayer
While the multiplayer has gone down, I am basing it on the assumption of MMORPG that normally occur a £10 per month charge, I have no time for these kind of games and so it has been places low on the list. If it was one without a fee then it would probably come in 3rd, but I still think it takes a lot of time and dedication to play a MMORPG.
The graphics are in second again, but this is not because I want the best graphics available like Final Fantasy always delivers, because some of the time I really like playing an older RPG that has been brought back from the dead. Like Chrono Trigger or Breath of Fire. While the graphics are not those of Resident Evil I think they suit the game style better at times and so making the graphics important again.
Music is a nice touch in RPG�s and will often have their own Soundtrack album released due to the high level of work that goes into it. Every RPG fan knows the battle music for Final Fantasy, the victory song and all the different emotions it can make you feel as Sephiroth walks through the flames to the amazing music. It is an attribute that is commonly acknowledged in a good RPG, and not so much in other genres.
Offline Multiplayer I can only say a game like the .HACK series, to which I felt it tried to be like an online ROG but just didn�t really work in my opinion, I think if you want to play a ROG with someone else then it has to be a MMORPG and you have to put the hours in to get the better weapons and level up. If you have the time and dedication then I know the rewards in the game are massive and you can have some great times playing, but the cost of it for me is far too high. I would rather pay £60 up front and not have to pay again.
Platform
Again a genre I really like and if all the elements are there then the experience is fantastic, games like Mario are born and for me the platform games with a mix of adventure (Ratchet & Clank + Jak) are among some of my favourite games! The list again is slightly different;
1. Game play
2. Graphics
3. Online Multiplayer
4. Offline Multiplayer
5. Music
The list is not too different, but once again I think the game play is the biggest factor as it spans such a large area. No one wants to play a platform game that took no time at all to make, and just involves a few jumps and collecting a coin here or there. We want new features where we can use veichles, get power ups and find rare items. You know the kind of thing I mean, like getting the ability to double jump etc etc.
The graphics have appeared in slot number 2 again and this is due to the same reason as the RPG�s, I like to play a game with cutting edge graphics, but then again, give me a nice clean cut version of Mario Bros 3 and I am just as happy as the next gamer. So the graphics can be cel-shaded or of the highest quality, but if they suit the game and go well it is a key ingredient.
Online Multiplayer takes the 3rd spot this time due to I like playing online, in any game as long as I don�t have to pay (of course I don�t mind DLC, but I don�t like being charged for the standard online lol) Multiplayer adds life to a game, it keeps things fresh and being online is just a way to play even more people and adds the extra factor of ranking higher and having that feeling of knowing your better than someone else at a game! It does not always work well in a platform game, and my only real experience of this is on Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, the idea was fun and the few times I played online, despite being awful at it, I had fun. The main issue was not enough people were online by the time I found the game!
The offline multiplayer is pretty much the same as above, but not too many of my mates like the platform games and so being online is a better option than not on this front.
The music in a Platform game is not too important for me, I am of course always glad to hear a nice melody in the background that suits the environment, but then I could happily play the game on mute with my own choice of music as I do not feel it adds as much as the other aspects and so it makes 5th on the list this time.
Shooters (FPS and third)
Call of Duty, Gears of War, Far Cry are just a few of the games I have played in the last year and a half and really enjoyed from this / these genres. So the list for this one goes as follows;
1. Game play
2. Online Multiplayer
3. Graphics
4. Offline Multiplayer
5. Music
It sounds horrible almost that I am ranking all the above in these genres as they all have to be right to make a great game! But that is not the point of the topic lol, so anyway, the game play aspect really links in with the online multiplayer side of things. COD4 had it spot on, it plays great and the Online was brilliant. There are rewards for going up ranks, better guns to get, perks etc. first and second place in this game merge as one to be a top spot really. I lost hours Online to COD4 and it was because it was addictive.
The graphics are a big factor in this aswell, it looked real and made you feel like you was part of it all, i think having the top next-gen graphics in this game is key, as it is all about being realistic. I has to come in third just due to how important that two above are.
So I know you will be thinking, surely the offline multiplayer has to be as important as the Online, well yes, but then again it is harder these days to get 3 mates together for some gaming. In the good old days of Goldeneye then I wouldn�t change sitting round my friends, playing vs mode on Stack for the best online mode in the world. It was close between this and music for fourth, because you want to hear the gun fire and the shouting team mates falling in battle. So a very close one on this genre but always one of the hardest to get right in my opinion because all the factors are important. Most the other genres I have found one which I can really go without. In this case it would probably be the music, but only just!
I think I may have gone on long enough but a nice post there pb and one which inspired me to go on this rant lol. I enjoyed thinking about each aspect of the genres and what is important to me, because I think doing this makes you think more about the game you are playing or going to buy, and appreciate the game when all the components have been done well. Hope I didn�t bore any of you too much!
I can't really list an order of importance, but agree that the five elements you have mentioned are some of the more important ones.
The trouble is, the games world is always evolving. When I was a wee nipper*, my favourite game was Super Mario Bros. The factors that impressed me were the simple to pick up, challenging to play platform action; the audio, the visuals and the multiplayer mode. The game is fun, but keeps me challenged, so I'll keep playing. The music may not have been much more than a few 8-bit tunes, but that was all we had back then. Yet, the music suited the game perfectly. Combined with the bleepy sound effects for jumping, dropping down pipes and Bowser's flames, couldn't ask for a better 8-bit soundtrack. The graphics were simple, yet again suited the game as they did not get in the way of the gameplay. And the multiplayer allowed you to effectively race through the game with a friend.
In the SNES era, a save-game facility became more of an important factor that is now often taken for granted, especially by current generation console owners who have auto-save as standard on most games. Games got longer and therefore there was no way you could play through an entire quest without pausing for a break, a wee, food, sleep or other necessary activities...
The ability to control the game is an important factor these days, and is something that has put me off playing games like Fallout 3 lately. I like to be able to get to grips with controls fairly quickly so that they do not get in my way when I'm fighting off Zombie-Nazis or driving round a race-course. If I've got to remember odd control layouts that don't feel right as I'm playing then it often takes too long for me to get used to the controls and the frustration leaves the games gathering dust. Don't get me wrong, I do pursue with these games - especially if I've spent hard earned cash on them, but its not to say that controls can be a big irritation.
Multiplayer is still a huge factor now, whether offline or online. The advantage of online is that you can play against a stranger the other side of the planet without having to share a screen. However, if you want to play with mates, split-screen is the only way (unless you've got an expensive LAN-setup). It worked in the N64 era, and to some extent, the PS2 era, however I now feel odd trying to play splitscreen as I feel I'm missing half the picture.
To me, its not just one part of a game that feels most important. It's a working collaboration of in-game elements that make a game great. If the audio complements the visuals, The visuals complement the game, the gameplay is enjoyable and the game-options are suitable (i.e. save, multiplayer, etc) then that's what makes a game great.
*I have never nipped wee
The trouble is, the games world is always evolving. When I was a wee nipper*, my favourite game was Super Mario Bros. The factors that impressed me were the simple to pick up, challenging to play platform action; the audio, the visuals and the multiplayer mode. The game is fun, but keeps me challenged, so I'll keep playing. The music may not have been much more than a few 8-bit tunes, but that was all we had back then. Yet, the music suited the game perfectly. Combined with the bleepy sound effects for jumping, dropping down pipes and Bowser's flames, couldn't ask for a better 8-bit soundtrack. The graphics were simple, yet again suited the game as they did not get in the way of the gameplay. And the multiplayer allowed you to effectively race through the game with a friend.
In the SNES era, a save-game facility became more of an important factor that is now often taken for granted, especially by current generation console owners who have auto-save as standard on most games. Games got longer and therefore there was no way you could play through an entire quest without pausing for a break, a wee, food, sleep or other necessary activities...
The ability to control the game is an important factor these days, and is something that has put me off playing games like Fallout 3 lately. I like to be able to get to grips with controls fairly quickly so that they do not get in my way when I'm fighting off Zombie-Nazis or driving round a race-course. If I've got to remember odd control layouts that don't feel right as I'm playing then it often takes too long for me to get used to the controls and the frustration leaves the games gathering dust. Don't get me wrong, I do pursue with these games - especially if I've spent hard earned cash on them, but its not to say that controls can be a big irritation.
Multiplayer is still a huge factor now, whether offline or online. The advantage of online is that you can play against a stranger the other side of the planet without having to share a screen. However, if you want to play with mates, split-screen is the only way (unless you've got an expensive LAN-setup). It worked in the N64 era, and to some extent, the PS2 era, however I now feel odd trying to play splitscreen as I feel I'm missing half the picture.
To me, its not just one part of a game that feels most important. It's a working collaboration of in-game elements that make a game great. If the audio complements the visuals, The visuals complement the game, the gameplay is enjoyable and the game-options are suitable (i.e. save, multiplayer, etc) then that's what makes a game great.
*I have never nipped wee
There are many parts to a game; the music, gameplay, graphics, physics, art (aside from graphics), online capabilities.
They may all be good but if you had to pick one above all the others, which would it be?
For me, the gameplay is the obvious one. But being honest, I don't know if I'd play a game if the graphics were so bad that I couldn't see the characters or what to do very easily and yet I could possibly put up with bad music.
So my list would be:
1.Gameplay
2.Graphics
3.Online Multiplayer
4.Offline Multiplayer
5.music
They may all be good but if you had to pick one above all the others, which would it be?
For me, the gameplay is the obvious one. But being honest, I don't know if I'd play a game if the graphics were so bad that I couldn't see the characters or what to do very easily and yet I could possibly put up with bad music.
So my list would be:
1.Gameplay
2.Graphics
3.Online Multiplayer
4.Offline Multiplayer
5.music