Point of View: Simple or Complex

[Lightslei]

Say you pick up a game completely new and the controls are unbelievably complex and seem ridiculous to figure out. Would you challenge yourself and try and learn it? Do you prefer simpler "mindless" games where you don't really have to think all that much but learn a simple engine rather quickly.


Just curious before I actually try to make a game of some kind what you'd prefer (and if I ever do put it in the open, don't expect it to be all that great graphically).

 

[theComposer]

I prefer a happy medium. If the controls are overly complex, then the learning curve becomes steep and unwelcoming to new players. If the game is too simple, then the gameplay can become boring or repetitive as the mechanics aren't varied enough.

 

[Chamale]

I like games where the controls all do something. But I'm used to 360 games where right trigger shoots, A jumps, X uses, B reloads, and Y switches weapons. Anything else is disorienting to me, and I hate being unable to remap my controls. On PC, I liked the non-standard arrangement where 1 is my melee weapon, 2 is a secondary, and 3 is my main weapon. Remapping this causes annoying problems in Valve games, especially TF2, since the design clearly based on the assumption that the player wants to press 1 to use their main weapon.

 

[Serenegoose]

I prefer complex games with intuitive controls. Whilst I can get over a complex, rubbish layout, there's really no excuse for it.

 

[Bon_Clay]

Generally the game mechanics should be complex, not the controls. If I can't do what I want in a decently intuitive way, you just made some crappy controls. Then have whatever objectives there are in the game get increasingly hard. Increase the need for precision and speed as it goes on. A game could have controls as basic as Mario, but if the level design is very unforgiving it still takes a lot of skill and patience. That way you can pick it up and get into it right away, but mastering it takes a long time.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

The best is a compromise between the two.

A game with a potentially complex system but can still be enjoyably played using simple commands, and the player can then graduate to more complex commands if and when they choose to learn them.

 

[gamer_parent]

Say you pick up a game completely new and the controls are unbelievably complex and seem ridiculous to figure out. Would you challenge yourself and try and learn it? Do you prefer simpler "mindless" games where you don't really have to think all that much but learn a simple engine rather quickly.


Just curious before I actually try to make a game of some kind what you'd prefer (and if I ever do put it in the open, don't expect it to be all that great graphically).

no. I have little time as is to play games. Having to spend large swaths of time studying a game engine doesn't strike me as a good form of entertainment.

I also find it incredibly condescending that somehow "simpler" mechanics strikes people as mindless. Apparently, Chess could benefit from having more rules.

 

[Slaanax]

If I can't jump into a game and enjoy it right away and feel hampered by complex controls or confusing game play I can't get into it.

 

[octafish]

One of my favorite games is Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear. So I guess I'm OK with complex.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I guess I like games that are easy to pick up to a degree (I don't want mindless button mashing in any game though) but difficult to master. So, if I really get into the game, I can then take time and really master it. Or, if I just like the game (not love it), I can play through the game just fine without mastering it and have an enjoyable experience.

Also, like others have said, the controls shouldn't be the cause of making the game difficult or complex, it should be the gameplay mechanics. I shouldn't have to fight with the controls.

 

[The Lunatic]

I'm more than happy to take some time to learn how to play the game.

Some games require a certain way of playing them, expecting all games to conform to a single blueprint will mean that interesting gems of games would be completely locked off to me.

 

[Zeekielou]

I like both. There are those times when I just want to play a game just to not think for a while and sometimes I like games to challenge me or teach me something.

 

[gamer_parent]

Games can be overly complex without a super complex control scheme. Fury just such an example. The game out of the box gave you so many different options for builds it's not even funny. The sheer amount of info you need to process even before you got to the interesting part of the game was just too much.

The game as a result crashed and burned. It's the perfect example of a game that is complex for complexity's sake.

 

[gamer_parent]

Simple or complex gameplay, the controls should be simple.

you mean my varient of chess where you have to do long division in your head before being allowed to move a piece is just a bad idea? well, poppycock to you, good sir!

 

[gamer_parent]

Simple or complex gameplay, the controls should be simple.

you mean my varient of chess where you have to do long division in your head before being allowed to move a piece is just a bad idea? well, poppycock to you, good sir!

No that's fine, just as long as you don't have to "show your work" via a game controller. LOL

What? what kind of head mathemagic are YOU using? Oh, I get it, you're using one of them fancy shmancy "calculators" aren't you?!? Well that's just cheating! It totally breaks the game!

 

[General_Potatoes]

When i started playing diablo , i got so pissed at the controls that i gave up for a while. but then i started again then i got the controls figured out and i started pwning things.