FPS games = unoriginality, but why?

[rossatdi]

WW1, up over the trench with 30 buddies, all trying to get to the machine gun nest without getting perforated by enemy bullets.

F5...F10...F10...F10...F10...F10...fucking Germans!...F10...F10...success you are now in the enemy's trench. You now have 3 days to prepare for the inevitable counter attack that will kill you because the fortifications are set the wrong direction.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: WWI can be made to work. You just have to look outside of the Western Front. There's the Eastern Front [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_I)], the Middle East [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Eastern_theatre_of_World_War_I], the Balkans [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans_Campaign_(World_War_I)], and even though the Italian Front [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Campaign_(World_War_I)] did descend into trench warfare, the mountainous terrian could provide enough hard cover to make for some interesting battles. Outside of Italy, all these scenarios provide plenty fluidity for an action based FPS.

Not saying it wouldn't but the OP specifically suggested trench storming type stuff. Which would make a crap game if it was realistic and an offensively inconsiderate one if played for 'fun'. Britain alone lost almost a million men in that war. Three times that of WWII. I find WWII games a bit offensive at best but seeing the trivialisation of trench warfare would be a bad step for serious gaming.

Yes they could branch out the historical conflicts used but I'd prefer if they used some imagination and that they made war porn that didn't re-enact real deaths.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Since when Original=Good?

80% of the time.

 

[rossatdi]

Since when Original=Good?

80% of the time.

Since when did unoriginal automatically mean bad?

 

[rossatdi]

Not saying it wouldn't but the OP specifically suggested trench storming type stuff. Which would make a crap game if it was realistic and an offensively inconsiderate one if played for 'fun'. Britain alone lost almost a million men in that war. Three times that of WWII. I find WWII games a bit offensive at best but seeing the trivialisation of trench warfare would be a bad step for serious gaming.

Yes they could branch out the historical conflicts used but I'd prefer if they used some imagination and that they made war porn that didn't re-enact real deaths.

Ah, didn't catch that bit. But you are right on both counts. Also added to the fact that WWI didn't really have a 'cause' as such. The poor bastards on the front didn't know just why they were there in the first place, whereas you know where you stand with WWII. Though that might make a good 'games as art' game, morally questionable and all, in the current climate of more black and white 'ooh-rah' games, it probably won't do so well.

Always prefered Sci-fi anyways, because you can never quite make things 100% historically accurate and, maybe it's just me, but I get really annoyed when something's not quite right. And you can really set your imagination free with sci-fi.

Agreed. If someone could do something very clever from a first person strategy game with WWI and the trenches we might have something interesting. You play a mid level general who has to survey the operational theatre and make plans, organise logistics (major major part of it). It would have to be very carefully done but if it was done well you might get a game that really challenges the player.

You literally witness the battlefronts 1st hand and mix in a healthy dose of RPG conversation branching (are you an arrogant officer or someone who sympathises with the men?) and RTS command (you lay your plans and try to deal with them falling apart).

Meh, wish I was a games developer!

 

[Baby Tea]

WW1, up over the trench with 30 buddies, all trying to get to the machine gun nest without getting perforated by enemy bullets.

I think the History Channel made a game like that...it sucked.

Pirates, specifically the boarding parts. Running around Friggates and stuff with those awful little pistol things, complete with explodable environments from all the cannon fire.

Sounds like a VERY old game called 'Man-o-War', but it was more based on fleet controll. But you COULD walk around the deck of your ship!

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff. Even driving your SWAT van there and ordering your squad about. (kinda like GTA but with an FPS SWAT motif).

Haven't you EVER played the Swat games? SWAT 3 and 4 are great! Emphasis on proper police tactics (Meaning, don't try to kill everything). You can actually yell at suspects to get them to drop their guns, arrest them, and yes...shoot them. Good times.

If they had a go at any of these I guarantee they would generate more interest (and sales) than Medal of Honor:1032 or Call of Duty 17. Is there a valid reason game developers haven't tried something new?

Since they DID have them, to some extent, and you haven't heard of them, doesn't that prove that last point moot? Game developers are out to make money. It's a business. That means they'll make a game that sells. And if people are buying up space marine WW2 shoot'em ups, then that's what they'll make. Supply and demand.

 

[Shindiggity]

I think there needs to be a clarification in definition here. If you see a lack of originality in First Person Shooters, then you may very well be correct, as they are simply First Person Shooters. If you are, however, talking about games played in the first person viewpoint, then there are a multitude of games which are innovative and interesting (Dark Messiah, Condemned 1/2, Mirror's Edge off the top of my head). The reason we mostly see Space Marines, grizzled WWII combatants etc. is because most of us want to fill the shoes of someone we would want to have been (in a dramatic sense). As a few people have mentioned in posts above me, firing and realoading a musket would get pretty damn boring, as would capturing a trench after about 1 year of stalemate (and quicksave/quickloads) only to have it countered by the super-effective elastic defense maneuvre.
If you think you have a great idea for a game, consider getting into modding or something, then see if you have the actual perseverance to see it through as opposed to making threads about how other people should.

 

[Wicky_42]

*counterpoints to original post*

All those points have already been made, as you might have expected in a three page topic. Sheesh - I think they were even made on the first page.
_______________

To be honest, AI and setting aside, imo the major step that fps need in order to become more unique is for a more immersive control system to be created. I'm thinking along the lines of virtual headset, or using the wii style head tracking [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw], coupled with a glove to handle aiming, in game manipulation and melee. Control pads and mouse and keyboard have been done and redone, and there's no inspiration for developers to make particularly interesting or outlandish game, so lets get them to invest in novel control systems! Personally, I hope that virtual reality is made available commercially before I'd dead, cos I'd love to experience it...

 

[spuddyt]

trouble with napoleonic wars (if it hasn't been said already) is that muskets take a buggeringly long time to reload and are absurdly inaccurate - hence why cavalry were still useful

 

[Baby Tea]

*counterpoints to original post*

All those points have already been made, as you might have expected in a three page topic. Sheesh - I think they were even made on the first page.

Yeah I totally didn't read far in. My bad.

To be honest, AI and setting aside, imo the major step that fps need in order to become more unique is for a more immersive control system to be created. I'm thinking along the lines of virtual headset, or using the wii style head tracking [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw], coupled with a glove to handle aiming, in game manipulation and melee. Control pads and mouse and keyboard have been done and redone, and there's no inspiration for developers to make particularly interesting or outlandish game, so lets get them to invest in novel control systems! Personally, I hope that virtual reality is made available commercially before I'd dead, cos I'd love to experience it...

I would disagree with this point, however. How many gimmicks have we seen over the years that just ended up in landfill? Virtual Boy. Power glove. That giant Nintendo bazooka thing.
Added a bunch of peripherals isn't going to make the game more immersive. It going to make you look like an idiot, while still playing the same old games in a new, unfamiliar way.

I would say it's all presentation. And by that I mean, get the perspective right! Look at COD:4. Great, popular FPS game. Now look at your perspective. Not much has changes since doom. You've got your gun sticking out, and it bobs as you move and run. Hooray. It turns with little to no sway or movement. It's almost static, with it's actual 'movement' being strictly aesthetic.

Now take a look at an older game, but one I just picked up again recently: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. The first person perspective of the mercs in multiplayer felt way more fluid, way more real to me then any modern shooter.

It's the proper first person perspective that developers have to get right before 'virtual reality' will be as cool as we're imagining.

 

[TheButtonMashEffect]

They maybe unoriginal but still i couldn't live without them some FPS are the best games around.

 

[ioxles]

There should be more Fps' like Dark Messiah, that was close to being the perfect fps as possible for me.

Dark Messiah was a good and imaginative game, But it wasnt an FPS

Yeah, you're right. I guess I just really want to play more Dark Messiah, it was waaaaay too short.

 

[Valiance]

I agree, I'm pretty sick of the same kind of FPS over and over (Sci-fi, a War game)

I want a fantasy FPS. It doesn't have to be a gun, it can be...a bow, or a really cool crossbow that shoots...gremlins!

Or how about a Old Western FPS. Oh sure, there wouldn't be many weapons, it could be more about close combat or something, with only the odd bullet here and there.

Fantasy FPS? Try Witchhaven.

Old Western FPS? I played something along those lines a while ago, forgot the name of it...It was quite terrible though. Like some clint eastwood game from like '95.

 

[Goldeneye103X2]

The resistance series pretty much combined WW2with Shooting aliens. Wow.

 

[curlycrouton]

Ok, we have the grizzled space marine with a gun that looks like a piece of construction equipment or the WW2 tough guy with a chin you could crack anvils on.

Anyone else?

Why in the name of Michael Bay are there no other genres of FPS games? I am loathe to speak for anyone except myself but am I really the only one who is getting a bit fed up with this? It's not even as if it would be difficult to come up with some alternatives... here:-

Napoleonic wars (a la Sharpe), with muskets and flintlocks.

WW1, up over the trench with 30 buddies, all trying to get to the machine gun nest without getting perforated by enemy bullets.

Pirates, specifically the boarding parts. Running around Friggates and stuff with those awful little pistol things, complete with explodable environments from all the cannon fire.

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff. Even driving your SWAT van there and ordering your squad about. (kinda like GTA but with an FPS SWAT motif).

If they had a go at any of these I guarantee they would generate more interest (and sales) than Medal of Honor:1032 or Call of Duty 17. Is there a valid reason game developers haven't tried something new?

All the game ideas you came up with already exist:

http://www.1861mod.com/

http://store.steampowered.com/app/90026/

http://store.steampowered.com/app/90018/

http://www.bfpirates.com/

http://uk.gamespot.com/search.html?tag=search%3Bbutton&om_act=convert&om_clk=search&qs=swat

 

[Fraught]

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff. Even driving your SWAT van there and ordering your squad about. (kinda like GTA but with an FPS SWAT motif).

Why in the name of a German, homosexual Uwe Boll do you not know of the SWAT series?

 

[Zersy]

I will not Comment on This Thread