Features you can't believe haven't been implemented yet...

[tippy2k2]

I'm playing a game of FIFA 13 when a players worst nightmare shows up...

My team: White shirt and black stripes with black trunks
His team: Black shirt and white stripes with black trunks

...fuck.

So this got me thinking:
How in the hell haven't any of the sport games implemented a way to change your uniform during the match? At a glance, you could not tell the two teams apart and as anyone who plays soccer knows, all it takes is a second for your opportunity to close.

And as long as I'm talking about "sports, sports, is your whole life just sport" games (KFAN joke on Minnesota Sports radio)...

When are they going to have stadium noises affect the game? The NCAA Football series has been doing this forever (or at least it used to; I suppose I haven't played a NCAA game in quite a while) and it just seems baffling that this wouldn't be implemented in the other sport games. Anyone watching sports in real life is well aware the kind of advantages that home-field can give a team so why is this not a factor in the digital version?

So what features seem like no-brainers that should be implemented in your favorite games? Did you see it in another game and are wondering why it hasn't been copied for others or is this an idea you think should be added to the game?

 

[IllumInaTIma]

So this got me thinking:
How in the hell haven't any of the sport games implemented a way to change your uniform during the match? At a glance, you could not tell the two teams apart and as anyone who plays soccer knows, all it takes is a second for your opportunity to close.

I may be wrong, but most FIFA games allow you to choose your uniform before the match.

As for other games, you realize how awesome and simple feature is once someone actually implements it. For example, it blew my mind when first Torchlight allowed you to pick up coins just by walking over them. WHY THE HELL NO ONE CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA BEFORE?!

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

The uniform thing is interesting. It's been done in FPS games, many of which have an option to switch out the realisticly drab uniforms for red and blue skins, so it's kind of odd to think it's never been done in sports games.

Something I just thought of: why not have a series of interlocking open world games? Something like the experiment the Eve Online devs are doing with Dust 345, except instead of an MMO and an FPS, it would be an Elite clone and a Bethesda-style open world game. Have it so each game is playable on its own (for example, in the open world game on its own, you'd have to buy a ticket or hire someone or something to get from planet to planet, and the trip would just be a loading screen. If you have the Elite clone, you can get your own ship in that, and fly it around in an open universe.) I understand why this concept has never been done as its own game before -- it's just too complicated, with too many things to cram into one game -- but I don't see why it couldn't work as a series of standalone expansions. You could probably apply this to any other crazy multigenre idea you may have, but the ultimate Han Solo simulator is something people have been chasing for decades, and it's never been done right because no game has allowed you to do both the piloting and the swashbuckling, it's always one or the other. Or one with the other as a crappy minigame.

 

[Zhukov]

Unlimited inventories in RPGs.

Been having another go at Kingdoms of Amular recently, and I gotta say, having to zip back to town every now and again just to sell off my crap adds precisely fuck all to the game.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I don't know of any games other than Torchlight that allow your pets to go into town and sell all your crap for you while you're dungeon crawling. How did no one else think of that before? It's fucking amazing to be able to send my wolf into town and continue on adventuring.

 

[tippy2k2]

So this got me thinking:
How in the hell haven't any of the sport games implemented a way to change your uniform during the match? At a glance, you could not tell the two teams apart and as anyone who plays soccer knows, all it takes is a second for your opportunity to close.

I may be wrong, but most FIFA games allow you to choose your uniform before the match.

You are half right. You are able to change your uniforms in exhibition play before the match but not for online play. Online play puts you against random opponents so you don't even know what team you're going up against, let alone the color of their uniform.

 

[Korica]

Champions Online type customization.

Seriously light-years ahead of other things. Sure the game itself was not particularly good, but the character creation engine was almost good enough to justify that. Being a game without gear, your appearance was entirely open to what you wanted it to be. Every single part of your body had hundreds of options for physical design and coloring. You could literally be just about anything you wanted - and if the game had actually been good and survived, they just would have kept adding MORE designs over time.

On top of that, it had my favorite open-ended skill system ever created. I should preface this by saying it was horribly imbalanced and did not end up working well, but the concept itself was solid. There were classes with skill sets, but you did not have a choose a class. You could pick any skill from any class and make your own totally unique build.

Telekinetic auto attacks, summon lightning bolts, have a Shoulder Cannon, use super strength to throw rocks, all on one character. It was awesome on a level I have never seen since.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

So this got me thinking:
How in the hell haven't any of the sport games implemented a way to change your uniform during the match? At a glance, you could not tell the two teams apart and as anyone who plays soccer knows, all it takes is a second for your opportunity to close.

I may be wrong, but most FIFA games allow you to choose your uniform before the match.

You are half right. You are able to change your uniforms in exhibition play before the match but not for online play. Online play puts you against random opponents so you don't even know what team you're going up against, let alone the color of their uniform.

Oh, well now that's stupid. I've only played FIFA via LAN, so no experience in online play.

 

[Salomega]

How about a Zombie Survival game that is actually about surviving? Take 1 part Rebuild, 1 part Left 4 Dead, 1 part the sims (sorta) and 1 part resource management and you'd have a zombie game that no one would be able to put down.

Also, how about the ability to slap really annoying support characters?

 

[Pulse]

You are half right. You are able to change your uniforms in exhibition play before the match but not for online play. Online play puts you against random opponents so you don't even know what team you're going up against, let alone the color of their uniform.

I really don't know what you're on about. Every single online match I've ever played in fifa 13 shows both of you selecting your kits at the same time. You don't select your home/away kits until you've found your (even if it's a random) opponent.

 

[tippy2k2]

You are half right. You are able to change your uniforms in exhibition play before the match but not for online play. Online play puts you against random opponents so you don't even know what team you're going up against, let alone the color of their uniform.

I really don't know what you're on about. Every single online match I've ever played in fifa 13 shows both of you selecting your kits at the same time. You don't select your home/away kits until you've found your (even if it's a random) opponent.

Please hold; testing FOR SCIENCE!!! (I probably should leave for work but this is important).

If it matters, I'm on the 360.

How are you selecting your online matches? If you do the Season mode (the mode that gives you points for playing against opponents and puts you in "leagues" that you have to play in), you do not get to see your opponent before the match. You can still select your kits color but that doesn't do you much good unless you know what your opponent is doing first.

I bet it let's you do that for friendlies but if you want to play ranked, you don't see who you're playing beforehand. I'll test it further once I get home because I would freaking kill for a way to do that in ranked games. It's incredibly frustrating to NEED 3 points in your last game to advance but you end up playing a team with the same colors...

*As hinted at, I'm now off workin for the man! I will not be able to respond to you until then but I really hope you're right and know a way for me to see my opponents kit before playing. I would have to find a way to get you a plate of cookies if there was a way that I'm just not aware of...

 

[Pulse]

You are half right. You are able to change your uniforms in exhibition play before the match but not for online play. Online play puts you against random opponents so you don't even know what team you're going up against, let alone the color of their uniform.

I really don't know what you're on about. Every single online match I've ever played in fifa 13 shows both of you selecting your kits at the same time. You don't select your home/away kits until you've found your (even if it's a random) opponent.

Please hold; testing FOR SCIENCE!!! (I probably should leave for work but this is important).

If it matters, I'm on the 360.

How are you selecting your online matches? If you do the Season mode (the mode that gives you points for playing against opponents and puts you in "leagues" that you have to play in), you do not get to see your opponent before the match. You can still select your kits color but that doesn't do you much good unless you know what your opponent is doing first.

I bet it let's you do that for friendlies but if you want to play ranked, you don't see who you're playing beforehand. I'll test it further once I get home because I would freaking kill for a way to do that in ranked games. It's incredibly frustrating to NEED 3 points in your last game to advance but you end up playing a team with the same colors...

*As hinted at, I'm now off workin for the man! I will not be able to respond to you until then but I really hope you're right and know a way for me to see my opponents kit before playing. I would have to find a way to get you a plate of cookies if there was a way that I'm just not aware of...

I'm playing ultimate team literally right now, on the ps3. I pick my team colours alongside my opponent every match, I didn't even think there was another way to do it.

I didn't do anything special to do it.

No cookies for me...

 

[The Wykydtron]

Well sir I cannot believe games never give you poison blowguns to use! They're my favourite! Especially the High Toxin, Rapid Fire ones if you can find them. They're very rare you see.

No, devs prefer to throw boring normal guns at you instead. One day all swords, axes, spears, guns etc etc will be obsolete once science recognises the superiority of the poison blowgun!

 

[Legion]

RPG's inventories:

Why, if you have no space to pick something up, can you not open the inventory and simply choose to replace the item you want with something of equal weight/size?

But no, you get told you can't pick it up. Then have to open up the inventory, find the required weight/size of items, drop them, leave the inventory menu and then pick up the one that you want.

Or similarly, items that are usable, but you still need to put them in your inventory to use them. Like in Deus Ex: Human Revolution with weapon mods. So if you have no space then you need to open up the inventory, drop the weapon, close the inventory, pick up the mod, open up the inventory again, attach the mod, leave inventory again and then re-pick up whatever you dropped to make room.

The same goes for painkillers and energy items etc.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

Well sir I cannot believe games never give you poison blowguns to use! They're my favourite! Especially the High Toxin, Rapid Fire ones if you can find them. They're very rare you see.

No, devs prefer to throw boring normal guns at you instead. One day all swords, axes, spears, guns etc etc will be obsolete once science recognises the superiority of the poison blowgun!

Poison blowgun? That all? Tsk tsk, you really need to see this if you like creative weaponry...


Now that's a fun weapon! XD

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

How about a Zombie Survival game that is actually about surviving? Take 1 part Rebuild, 1 part Left 4 Dead, 1 part the sims (sorta) and 1 part resource management and you'd have a zombie game that no one would be able to put down.

Also, how about the ability to slap really annoying support characters?

Day Z? I imagine that slapping function would go down really well with annoying female support characters...

I wonder why we haven't seen weather affecting gameplay beyond mere visuals (i.e. what you can and can't see). The only example I can think of was when I read way back in a gaming magazine that wind would be affecting battles in Killzone 2, but I haven't played it, so I can't say if it turned out to be true.

I imagine it would be really easy to implement as a feature on higher difficulty settings. Let's say, in Elder Scrolls, walking in snow would slow you down and staying in the rain for too long would encumber you more. You'd have to seek shelter and wait for the rain to stop. It might add more use for the 'wait' function other than merely skipping a few hours while waiting for the shops to open. Also, in FPS games wind would affect the trajectories of bullets and grenades, sandstorms would make your weapons jam or impossible to fire on rapid fire, warm locations would reduce your sprint ability etc. Why haven't we seen this yet?

Also, we need more implementation of destruction physics. At the moment it seems go no further than "you can destroy cover in shooters". It would really open up more tactical options, like bringing a ceiling down on your enemies or shooting the floor off from under their feet.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I'm playing Lego City Undercover and I can't help but wonder why I can't use my 4-million+ studs and, 35,000+ other-pieces to create custom lego vehicles. I've been playing for nearly 12 hours at this point and about 17% game completion so maybe there is a free-creation mode that I haven't got to quite yet...but why isn't this something I've heard about in other Lego games?

RPG's inventories:

Why, if you have no space to pick something up, can you not open the inventory and simply choose to replace the item you want with something of equal weight/size?

Or similarly, items that are usable, but you still need to put them in your inventory to use them. Like in Deus Ex: Human Revolution with weapon mods. So if you have no space then you need to open up the inventory, drop the weapon, close the inventory, pick up the mod, open up the inventory again, attach the mod, leave inventory again and then re-pick up whatever you dropped to make room.

The same goes for painkillers and energy items etc.

I remember this being a problem in other non-RPGs...I find a Herb in Resident Evil 5 and seem to have a paper-cut...but I can't pick it up or use it at all because my inventory is full!

 

[Petromir]

I don't know of any games other than Torchlight that allow your pets to go into town and sell all your crap for you while you're dungeon crawling. How did no one else think of that before? It's fucking amazing to be able to send my wolf into town and continue on adventuring.

Star Wars the Old Republic, has many flaws (still fun) and you can indeed send your active companion back to sell trash items, though sadly not better stuff you were just going to sell anyway.

 

[CloudAtlas]

Something I just thought of: why not have a series of interlocking open world games? Something like the experiment the Eve Online devs are doing with Dust 345, except instead of an MMO and an FPS, it would be an Elite clone and a Bethesda-style open world game. Have it so each game is playable on its own (for example, in the open world game on its own, you'd have to buy a ticket or hire someone or something to get from planet to planet, and the trip would just be a loading screen. If you have the Elite clone, you can get your own ship in that, and fly it around in an open universe.) I understand why this concept has never been done as its own game before -- it's just too complicated, with too many things to cram into one game -- but I don't see why it couldn't work as a series of standalone expansions. You could probably apply this to any other crazy multigenre idea you may have, but the ultimate Han Solo simulator is something people have been chasing for decades, and it's never been done right because no game has allowed you to do both the piloting and the swashbuckling, it's always one or the other. Or one with the other as a crappy minigame.

While the idea is interesting, you already stated yourself why it's not done. Integrating two different games with each other is a lot of work, and has little benefit for the individual games. Does it really matter in, say, Dust 314, if you have orbital bombardments due to some complex interaction with EVE, instead of some simple mechanic within your own game?

But something like your "Han Solo simulator", that would be cool. Seems like a logical combination for sci-fi-RPG's a la Mass Effect or Destiny.

~

What I would like to see is an AAA RPG (or Tomb Raider-esque adventure) with more survival aspects - where you have to hunt, to eat, get wet when it rains, have to wear a coat when it's snowing, where you can only carry as much as would be remotely realistic (not 3 complete plate armors in your backpack). Maybe it already exist, but at least I'm not aware of it.
But I guess that's hard to pull of in a way that is meaningful and not just a nuisance.