Recent content by steelyglint

I would say it's most likely caused in part by larger variability in skill level (or components of skill like reflexes and hand-eye coordination) among men than among women. Competitiveness and willingness to accept the costs of being a hardcore gamer probably also play a part. Even if the...

I've been thinking about hacking minigames lately. Would it be possible to make a game in which the hacking was a major draw of the game, instead of simply a tedious roadblock that must be overcome from time to time? As a programmer, I'm familiar with the ecstatic, euphoric feeling you can get...

I'm surprised no one is disagreeing with me. Do you all think Spore would have been as successful (either critically or in terms of sales) if it had more of a focus on science? Though I think it's possible for cuteness and science to coexist, would your opinion change if including more science...

I've sort of been ruminating about this since the game was released. I decided to post now after a lengthy discussion with my friends at a July 4th party, and I still think it's relevant.

I'd prefer to avoid this thread devolving into an evolution flamewar, so try to avoid arguing about that (even though it's the elephant in the room). Anyway, I'm not saying the game needs to be explicitly focused on education. I'd just prefer that it had the same attention to the factual...

It has been nearly two years since Spore was released, and I still find the bitter taste of disappointment lingering in my mouth. Never before or since in my lengthy gaming career have I been so utterly disappointed by a game. I say this as someone who has played practically every game developed...

Does anyone else have any comments? This didn't quite turn into the productive discussion I was hoping for.

This, and many of the other posts, refer to strategic/character building decisions. Not that they're not interesting too, but what I was really interested in is what makes combat fun AFTER your character is already built and equipped. Yeah, maybe you should stick with mascara or lip gloss...

Would I be correct in saying that what many of you find most fun in tactical combat (especially when it's turn based) is building intricate combos that annihilate your enemies or leave them defenseless?

Yes, the listed games are different depending on what type of character you play. But that's not really the question I was asking. Perhaps I didn't word my post specifically enough, since I gave equal emphasis to tactical and strategic elements. Let's forget about character building and focus...

What kinds of choices make the combat system in an RPG interesting? I'm concerned with both the tactical (choosing whether to use melee, spells, items, movement, etc.) and strategic (character building). Obviously, the least interesting RPG combat system gives victory to the character with...

I'm not sure I want it to be harder to gain traits based on what other traits you have, unless it's specifically related to opposed traits or something. And yes, good traits may make it easier to get out of minor crimes. If the character ever gets taken in front of a judge, having many good...

Yes, part of the fame/infamy system is that your character is only well known in the local area in which he committed the deeds for which he's famous. If you become very famous in an region word will spread to neighboring regions. Perhaps a bard might spontaneously decide to write an epic...

The only way for NPCs to react appropriately to the PC's actions is for the game to have some sense of the implications of each action. The player will be informed of the change to his moral outlook each potential action would have if chosen, so it's not like he selects an option then suddenly...