tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post7082197718649356738..comments2023-08-18T01:39:29.927+10:00Comments on SLRC - Subterranean Loner Rendered Comatose: Getting My Immersion FixBen Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-51157491367088006282009-03-23T11:10:00.000+11:002009-03-23T11:10:00.000+11:00On the whole walking line of thought, I wish that ...On the whole walking line of thought, I wish that game designers would ensure that your character's walk speed is the same as the NPCs' walk speed. I annoys me no end that it's impossible to 'follow' someone in some games (e.g. HL2). You have to walk, stop, walk, stop, because you seems to walk much faster than everyone else!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04112269769299930234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-89565867272241172152009-03-22T10:22:00.000+11:002009-03-22T10:22:00.000+11:00That's the spirit TGK! You will adore Far Cry 2.That's the spirit TGK! You will adore Far Cry 2.Ben Abrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-86732062707424790492009-03-22T09:00:00.000+11:002009-03-22T09:00:00.000+11:00A man after my own heart! STALKER be my own person...A man after my own heart! STALKER be my own personal downfall.<BR/><BR/>I must insist on your installing Oblivion Lost, as it breathes a fresh wind into the game and really bumps up the A-Life and feeling of an open world much more.<BR/><BR/>When I obtain Far Cry 2, I can only IMAGINE the days that will go by, windows shuttered and my mind linked directly to the heart of Africa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-53704342920726882592009-03-18T10:09:00.000+11:002009-03-18T10:09:00.000+11:00Hey Robin, thanks for the comments - the Oblivion ...Hey Robin, thanks for the comments - the Oblivion addon was part of a pack called 'Modular Oblivion Enhanced' and the module was called 'Travel Services'. It's nothing flash - you don't actually ride in a stagecoach (which would be awesome!) just quick travel and it takes some money off you. But if you've got a mod that disables regular quick travel (like I do) then it's a great immersion friendly way to get around! =)Ben Abrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-37010953739818878942009-03-18T05:30:00.000+11:002009-03-18T05:30:00.000+11:00Just wondering what the stage coach mod was called...Just wondering what the stage coach mod was called, it sounds cool but I can't find it :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-19125589731856303572009-03-16T12:59:00.000+11:002009-03-16T12:59:00.000+11:00It's funny that GTA is mentioned as another game o...It's funny that GTA is mentioned as another game of "being there" because I try and play GTA and struggle to get that feeling.<BR/><BR/>I think it's maybe because I don't actually *want* to be there, perhaps, and which makes sense because I think we probably need to want to be there in a game before we can successfully be engaged and immersed in it.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the contributions guys. I've been meaning to check out Dwarf Fortress for a while... dare I jump in? I dunno... maybe. =PBen Abrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146790136740709664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-6769208652702830422009-03-13T14:05:00.000+11:002009-03-13T14:05:00.000+11:00Fallout 3 was the closest to 'being there'...Fallout 3 was the closest to 'being there' in the past release of games. I'm a bit surprised that you felt the world was lifeless as I've had almost exactly the same scorpion > bandit experience in Fallout. Actually a number of times. <BR/><BR/>There are also small gems littered all around the place that aren't on any location list. Like the letterbox in a nuked city with a flyer for fallout shelters, or posters on the wall in the school library about learning with modern day graffiti on it about UNlearning. The ephemera throughout the environment is as detailed as I've seen anywhere.<BR/><BR/>Even though I, too, love the 'being there' moment I'll still fast travel after I've been between the places a couple of times. I think this is still to do with the inherent lack of 'living world' as the path between 2 cities is usually identical to last time you made the trip. In a real world there are always things going on that might crop up, but you get the sense that in the game it's always going to be the same. <BR/><BR/>For other games, you could try Dwarf Fortress as an escapist alternative. Once you get past the interface, the dwarves have character and the world lives and breathes like the best of the latest graphical games. It's because the simple character interface allows your imagination to 'fill in the blanks'; like a good book. <BR/><BR/>I've also found writing AARs help me 'live the moment'. I'll usually play a game through to try and break it. Once I've satisfied that need, I can then play through casually and not worry about minmaxxing, but just enjoy the ride. Not sure whether AARs stimulate the play experience or whether that style of play leads to AARs, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of playing a game while writing up an AAR.VRBoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10654192372497663948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-35103798745046061582009-03-13T05:38:00.000+11:002009-03-13T05:38:00.000+11:00I played Oblivion the same way; in fact, I think t...I played Oblivion the same way; in fact, I think that's part of the reason I didn't get very far in the story. It took me so long to get from quest element to quest element that I lost the focus to keep moving the game along.<BR/><BR/>I enjoy "being there" in the cities of Grand Theft Auto. I think my favorite experiences were in San Andreas. Unlike the other core games in the series, San Andreas includes in-between areas. Sometimes I would turn up the radio and head west out of the city, driving around the mountains. I wasn't trying to find hidden jumps or fill in the game area; I was just taking a drive. In a game world as dense as San Andreas, the spare parts of the game gave me the freedom to enjoy its open world.<BR/><BR/>I think that's the key to this kind of immersion: there are places in that game where things happen (traffic, environmental effects) but where I'm not really expected to do anything. I'd contrast this with games like Gears of War, where every single game design choice is pushing you to the next battle. It's important to have something else to entertain you, though. In Oblivion, I loved exploring the flora in Tamriel. I wasn't an alchemist, but I collected every plant product. It gave me a purpose to interacting with the environment but didn't really do anything significant to move the game along. There is some beautiful scenery in that game, and while quest objectives encourage you to move through it, it can be fulfilling as an end itself.<BR/><BR/>I was trying to think of specific moments in games where I just hung out in the game world, but aside from driving through GTA none are coming readily to mind. My style of gaming tends to exploration, so that's the root of most of those experiences. I'll stop back if anything good comes to mind.Jonathan Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953046901763727642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876906265497042129.post-18959800351911611632009-03-13T05:36:00.000+11:002009-03-13T05:36:00.000+11:00I think another obvious example is Grand Theft Aut...I think another obvious example is <I>Grand Theft Auto</I>, or at least it is for me. Like the stuff you enjoy from <I>Oblivion</I> it is the small things that add to the immersion and make me feel as if I'm 'there' while playing. Seeing people pull out their umbrellas as it starts to rain is just one example and when all of these small, subtle and even unnecessary moments combine I can't help but forget about the real world.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly, I also feel that <I>BioShock</I> was another game that managed it, again through attention to detail and atmosphere. Say what you will about the actual game (and I will admit right now, I am biased towards it), but I don't think anyone can deny that Rapture and the things that go with it (history, characters, art deco style and etc.) was the real beauty of that game.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, nice post Ben - it reminded me a lot of my times in Tamriel.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00626684107210848128noreply@blogger.com