The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXII

[Chukchi Husky]

I don't think that has anything to do with it. The fact that a game contains linear-questions doesn't mean that the game is itself linear. That would only be the case if you had to advance through all quests in a predetermined manner, which isn't the case.

They said that doing quests in any order you like doesn't count as non linear, as there is still an ending to the story. I think the example they used was a Japanese RPG where there was four quests you could do in any order.

Further, what about games like Civilization, which don't have any sort of plot at all? Surely they prove that non-linear games can exist?

I don't think it counts as there's no plot. Even if it did, the game still has an ending, so it's still non-linear.

 

[Traitorfish]

Civilization is fairly linear isn't? I don't recall ever being able to backtrack in time.

Quicksaves?

They said that doing quests in any order you like doesn't count as non linear, as there is still an ending to the story. I think the example they used was a Japanese RPG where there was four quests you could do in any order.

Well, that's not what "linearity" means. It means that you have to proceed through the game in a predetermined order, in a line, not simply that there exist any sort of constraints on what you can do.

I don't think it counts as there's no plot. Even if it did, the game still has an ending, so it's still non-linear.

What plot do Civ games have?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

And the proper response to that isn't to construct any sort of critique of the structural forces which have produced this state of affairs, but to call individual students "********"?

Given all the other things we know about his friends, yes, it is proper.

 

[Borachio]

Hahaha. Yes, Chukchi's description of them isn't favourable. But they may, of course, be very nice people.

Perceptions can get distorted all too easily.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

They don't seem to be nice to him - his descriptions make them come off as condescending jerks like myself. But fair point, I wouldn't know them from Adam and Steve.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Well, that's not what "linearity" means. It means that you have to proceed through the game in a predetermined order, in a line, not simply that there exist any sort of constraints on what you can do.

I don't know. They'll probably say that's the wrong definition.

What plot do Civ games have?

I meant if it counted as a non-linear game.

 

[Traitorfish]

Given all the other things we know about his friends, yes, it is proper.

From what I can see, all you needed for that conclusion is the fact that they aren't doing professional or STEM degrees.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

They think science degrees are worthless, as all you can do with them is end up stuck in retail.

 

[Traitorfish]

I don't know. They'll probably say that's the wrong definition.

I meant if it counted as a non-linear game.

They seem to be arguing that linearity is a matter of the presence or non-presence of a plot? But that would imply not only that Skyrim is a linear game, but that Pacman is a non-linear game, which is on the face of it fairly absurd.

 

[Borachio]

There aren't many jobs for physics graduates, that much is true, I've heard.

 

[Borachio]

Quicksaves?

Ooooh. I like that. Yes, you have a point.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

They seem to be arguing that linearity is a matter of the presence or non-presence of a plot? But that would imply not only that Skyrim is a linear game, but that Pacman is a non-linear game, which is on the face of it fairly absurd.

I guess that must be it, but I'm not sure if Pacman counts, as there are cut-scenes that tell a story.

The more I think about it, it seems like they think it's bad that a game can give a player any kind of choice, and that a good game is one where you just follow what the developer intended.

 

[Farm Boy]

I guess that must be it, but I'm not sure if Pacman counts, as there are cut-scenes that tell a story.

The more I think about it, it seems like they think it's bad that a game can give a player any kind of choice, and that a good game is one where you just follow what the developer intended.

Call of Duty is indeed the pinnacle of humankind's creation of art.

 

[CKS]

In the USA, anyway, the job market for physicists is pretty good these days. People with a BS mostly find a good job in a STEM field, and a good chunk of PhDs are going into permanent jobs instead of postdocs. (See AIP information at http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/emptrends.html)
It isn't a fantastic job market, but it is pretty good.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Call of Duty is indeed the pinnacle of humankind's creation of art.

Some of them don't like Call of Duty, but for other reasons.

 

[Borachio]

I'm intrigued. What kind of role do you have in this group of people, Chukchi?

 

[Chukchi Husky]

I don't really have any role. Whenever they go places they sometimes invite me to go along.

 

[Farm Boy]

Some of them don't like Call of Duty, but for other reasons.

Well, I was just thinking that Call of Duty is a series of scripted events that try very hard to look non-linear when you aren't really making any choices at all as the player. There's only one way to go. Go the wrong way and the door is closed, or there is a fire, or the map ends. It grabs you by the hand and tells you "play with this digital gun now." "Play the American guy shooting brown people now." "Ok, now it's the British guy's turn to shoot brown people." "Play with this airplane." Plot that the developers intended and everything. And some people might even get to consider it a historical drama about the War on Terror!

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Well, I was just thinking that Call of Duty is a series of scripted events that try very hard to look non-linear when you aren't really making any choices at all as the player. There's only one way to go. Go the wrong way and the door is closed, or there is a fire, or the map ends. It grabs you by the hand and tells you "play with this digital gun now." "Play the American guy shooting brown people now." "Ok, now it's the British guy's turn to shoot brown people." "Play with this airplane." Plot that the developers intended and everything. And some people might even get to consider it a historical drama about the War on Terror!

As a game itself they think Call of Duty is a good game, possibly one of the best American games, but not as good as anything Nintendo makes.

 

[Farm Boy]

As a game itself they think Call of Duty is a good game, possibly one of the best American games

Link to video.