My rant about Sandbox games, Generis FPS, and Hype.

[Genv [FP]]

This is something that has been going through my mind these couple of days, with the release of Spore.

Now, for the first part of my argument, I'll be using the infamous COD 4 vs Crysis discussion.

Crysis is a fairly non-Linear First person-shooter that has a sandbox style approach to gameplay ( Enter the Nanosuit )

COD4 is a Linear First person shooter.

Understand that I like both of these games, Though If I had a choice, it would be to pick Crysis.

When Crysis was released, most people had unrealistic assumptions. I imagine it went a bit like this:

Nerd:1 And I hurd that in crysis you can rip up the world and throw it at people! the game has 99 levels that are unique each time you play them with their own storyline!!111


Okay, I got off track, back to the sanbox game.

Let's compare the mission layout of Crysis vs COD4.

In Crysis, the player has the ability to run a mile in 10 seconds, punch cars over, Get hit by bullets, and become invisible. The game also allows many of the houses in the game and trees to be destroyed, rendering a beautiful sandbox spectacle that can be replayed.

And missions are fairly non-linear ( With the exception of the Ice missions, which are meant to drive the storyline )



In COD4, the player does missions in a completely linear fashion. The game turns into a game of whack-a-mole, except that the moles have AK-47s. No matter which way you play the game, You will always travel through the same corridors, shoot the same opponents, yadda yadda.




It surprised me when I saw that most people Favored COD4 over Crysis, which surprised me, as I thought most people would enjoy the Sandbox approach to gameplay.


Now I'm seeing the same thing going on with the release of spore. Use your frickin imagination, you dum sh!t. I'm noticing a disturbing trend of gamers with little or no-imagination, hence, your typical COD4 player ( Though I've been hearing good things about the multiplayer mode )

It seems to all boil down to the top 3 things I hate about today's gamers, and How I'm about to sterotype them for you. Feel free to flame me.

1: The guy that can't grasp the concept of sandbox games ( Ex: Crysis ):

Has no imagination

2: The guy with unrealistic expectations:

Thinks that the new game release with cure cancer.

3: The Smart guy that has no imagination:

A more advanced version of #1. Good examples are Yahztee and Garry Newman


Bonus Steroptyes:

The console Kid:

Can't grasp the concept of sandbox games. less advanced than #1. Does drugs later in life, grafitti


The " System specs are too high guy "

This person is purely ********. Approach with extreme caution. His superpower is insulting games that he hasn't played or can't enjoy fully without a better PC

* NOTE: THIS SPECIES HAS EVOLVED TO REVIEW GAMES. APPROACH WITH EXTREME CAUTION. KNOWN TO RATE GAMES LOW FOR BEING TOO DEMANDING.

ps: Moore's law

 

[Stormrage]

So in order to be considered imaginative by Genv [FP] you have to do the same things in different ways and enjoy it?

Sandbox is not for everyone. Infact, its not for most people. In the limited areas of fun that videogames offer, most people will choose one course of action that they find the most enjoyable and go with it.

So in Crysis, you can (i.e. - never played it) pass a mission by sniping enemies at a check-point fortification, or blowing them with a bazooka, or sneak by them, or ignore them at all. Choosing one way displays your imaginative abilities, not being able to choose all of them. Thats not imaginative, thats undecisive. Being imaginative means catering to your own imagination.

Being imaginative to cater other people`s imaginations is being "artistic" and bussineslike.. So if you don`t like that I shot guard #17 with a shotgun instead of offering him to read a Playboy while I sneak off into the base, sorry mate, thats your problem..

 

[Genv [FP]]

You're misinterpreting my point. My rant is only directed at how I am sadened at how the majority of players seem not to like sand-box games. It's not a matter of how imaginative I consider players.

 

[warpstorm]

Considering how well the GTA series has sold, I think there are a lot of players who like sandbox games.

 

[Harbringer]

GTA isn't really sandbox though, its one main game play style with a bunch of mini-games, you just don't have to do one mission after another.

 

[hossam]

imho i played call of duty 4 on my cousins xbox, multiplayer is awesome. i wasnt really interested in the single player though, but he said it was nice.

 

[King Flevance]

SP in CoD4 is pretty good for a shooter. It's linear but I don't get all this hub-bub about imagination. Sandbox is ok.. I think. I haven't played Crysis so what's the deal with Sandboxes? How is Sandbox seperate as far as multiplayer goes? If its just a single player reference... actually I better just wait until I know exactly what a sandbox FPS even is.

According to the OP my opinion of Crysis makes me ******** and lacking of an imagination. So enlighten me please.

Sandbox to me means RCT3 with endless money.

 

[Bigfoot3814]

Half Life 2 was a linear shooter, and I still think it was still one of the greatest game expiriences I ever had.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

I guess I'm an idiot for having a computer that's almost six years old. I already know I have no imagination, but I guess I have even less of one because I play console games.

 

[Abaddon]

I think your rant isn;t well thought out

 

[Stormrage]

I think Abbadon said in 8 words what I was trying to say in my long post. But then again, I get talkative when drunk It also took me a whole day to find that post of mine, I was curious what kind of crap I wrote, I couldn`t remember well in the morning

I managed to post all that in a foreign language without typos after 4l of beer

 

[Harbringer]

Your hella cool!

 

[King Flevance]

I managed to post all that in a foreign language without typos after 4l of beer

Actually, I can find 3 typos in the post. But spelling all checks out.

 

[Stormrage]

Would you mind pointing them out, I want to improve

 

[King Flevance]

So in order to be considered imaginative by Genv [FP] you have to do the same things in different ways and enjoy it?

Sandbox is not for everyone. Infact, (missing space a: "In fact,") its not for most people. In the limited areas of fun that videogames offer, most people will choose one course of action that they find the most enjoyable and go with it.

So in Crysis, no comma needed. (Although I do stuff like that all the time myself.)you can (i.e. - never played it) pass a mission by sniping enemies at a check-point fortification, or blowing them with a bazooka, or sneak by them, or ignore them at all. Choosing one way displays your imaginative abilities, not being able to choose all of them. Thats not imaginative, thats undecisive. (indecisive - I assume translation error rather than misspelling. You can be undecided or indecisive.) Being imaginative means catering to your own imagination.

Being imaginative to cater other people`s imaginations is being "artistic" and bussineslike(missing space b: "business like").. So if you don`t like that I shot guard #17 with a shotgun instead of offering him to read a Playboy while I sneak off into the base, sorry mate, thats your problem..

I always feel 'weird' doing this. But I know how you feel. I try to use forums and stuff to improve my typing. But my grammer is bad I think.

 

[Stormrage]

Thank you.

Back on topic, @Harbringer - I think GTA is a sandbox game. You do not have to play any missions. Ever. Or any of the mini-games. You can do whatever you want. 70% of my gaming experience with GTA3 was just doing some crazy stuff around town.