Sup Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 The videogaming blog Destructoid recently posted an, i thought, rather well put together post defending the value of 'on rails' gaming experiences -- http://www.destructoid.com/the-path-of-no-...ace-90753.phtml Linearity is not a bad thing, and can even be a most powerful tool in the right hands. Those who would accuse a game of being "too linear" often confuse a strength for a weakness. Indeed, the unwavering path can be as beautiful a route as the one with many winding branches, and I'm going to tell you why. Short and decently written, worth a read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Linear games have their place...on consoles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCO*AFZ* Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 They do have there place... take soldier of fortune, 1 and 2. I loved them for the gore and it was replayable, or doom for example. But... non linear also does, especially in multiplayer settings rather co-op or 2 teams going at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I guess, to me, an FPS that is linear shouldn't have the W,S,D,and X buttons. A developer shouldn't lul gamers, espically for tactical FPSs, into thinking they can explore and think a little more on how to get to, or around, their enemy. I can go to the arcade and play that area 51 gun game if I want to play a linear game. I will pay $45 for a game that lets me explore, outthink, and outflank my enemy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sup Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 They do have there place... take soldier of fortune, 1 and 2. I loved them for the gore and it was replayable, or doom for example. But... non linear also does, especially in multiplayer settings rather co-op or 2 teams going at it. Agreed, definitely, on both counts. sof1 in particular is a classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serellan Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Linear games have their place...on consoles. Funny then that Half Life, Doom, and Quake were way more linear than Halo 1...and Grand Theft Auto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCO*AFZ* Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Linear games have their place...on consoles. Funny then that Half Life, Doom, and Quake were way more linear than Halo 1...and Grand Theft Auto. As a single player yes... but as a deathmatch, no.(at least Quake) Same goes for unreal tournament. In the original i remember playing awesome maps like DMBathroom where your were minature and the other guys were 1000 yards + away. Boom! Headshot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrowmanUK Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Linear games are great for running you through stories or giving you a set experience and the good ones are really great, giving you the freedom to do what you want is something that most of us like to do though I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sup Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Linear games have their place...on consoles. Funny then that Half Life, Doom, and Quake were way more linear than Halo 1...and Grand Theft Auto. As a single player yes... but as a deathmatch, no.(at least Quake) Same goes for unreal tournament. In the original i remember playing awesome maps like DMBathroom where your were minature and the other guys were 1000 yards + away. Boom! Headshot! That's scale, not linearity. I have never played a deathmatch game -- pc or console with a 'linear' map. Furthermore, that is not what this article is about, or what any of us are discussing. This article is about singleplayer games. Anyway, excellent post, Serellan, and what i would have said myself. I would go as far as to say most of the 'great' classic PC games that are remembered were linear games, Half life being the best example. But that, i suppose, is a different discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRP 56 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I agree that linear games have their place and it's in the bargain bin! I for one can't afford to waste $50 on something that has little to no replayability but I must admit some of them sure are fun even if it's only a one time experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Return to Castle Wolfenstein my first..HL2 is super, in the middle of this SP, for the 3rd time now since purchase long time ago. Otherwise, I do have a load of games, most only played the once. No issues with paying for something that works out of the box. Most do SP, and that matters. Linear games do have there place here for me, but sometimes linear games do not recognize when they are not required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krise madsen Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I have no problem with linearity and on-rails gameplay in general. For those who enjoy such games, good for you. I do have a problem with just about every single FPS being increasingly linear and scripted and the odd option to choose between the door on the left and door on the right (leading to the same room) being touted as "non-linear". Respectfully krise madsen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurtz Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Linear single character games have their place, but, does every game have to be such. What happened to the squad shooter or coop? Both are dead as a doorknob. Since I prefer squad based mil shooters with coop, I am very disappointed that there are no console games in production. Not one single game. The only hope is for a sequel to GRAW and R6. The demise of the squad shooter is due to the simplification of games and the success of games like COD 4. The demise of coop is more problematic, limiting coop to 2 players is stupid, worse is not having coop altogether. Again, GRAW and R6 are the only good coop games on console for myself. it is disappointing that BIA and Far Cry 2 will have no coop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoQuarter Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I do have a problem with just about every single FPS being increasingly linear and scripted and the odd option to choose between the door on the left and door on the right (leading to the same room) being touted as "non-linear". I got a real hoot out of the :AW2 pre-release "Get me Rosen" artwork showing the Ghosts in overwatch and the entrances to the hacienda being point-marked in blue neon...apparently to highlight the gameplays flexibility. ____ Damn, there I go again...leaving the mission area - sorry Sup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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