Poll: Elevators or loading screens? Poll.

[Euhan01]

Well this is primarily about the Mass Effect series, other games have this problem aswell. As most people now in Mass Effect 1, Bioware attempted to hide loading screens by putting players in a lift/elevator playing some music/random news clip and taking the elevator ages to 'go up' whilst the game loaded. This recived some critisim as it took the elevator ages to go up. Therefore for Mass Effect 2, they got rid of them, and just went to loading screens with fancy graphics.

Personally I prefered Mass Effect 1. It kept you in the game, and some of the news clips were interesting. Proberly the best way to load a game i've played in was the Metroid Prime system, were you were put into reasonably reasonably small areas (although the size did vary and scale up when needed) with doors conencting, and you shot the door to open the next area, and the game loaded then. It kept you in the game and there were on long waiting time, the main disadvanatge of this was if you were entering a area that couldn't load in the time it took the door to open, you were left waiting, normally shooting the door. Not all games i've felt that try this do this well - Red Steel 2 for example did this, and the doors took forever to open, which rather defeated the point I felt. So what does the Escapist community prefer?

 

[SpireOfFire]

now that i think about it, i'd prefer elevators. at least i know when the game freezes.

 

[Bobbity]

I prefer elevators, preferably with something to make them interesting. Loading screens are unnecessary, and break the flow of a game.

 

[ewoke29]

I would say loading screens if they have a progress bar.

 

[Senjuriko]

I would say I prefer elevators, mainly 'cause of elevator music!

Oh, and those news bulletins from ME1 on the elevators were good for their immersion value.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

At least something happened in the elevators. News reports or party banter beat a static screen.

 

[Goofguy]

Definitely the elevators. Yes, it kept me immersed (as has been previously stated) but it also made me feel that the Citadel was a REALLY big place. Sure, that was just a side-effect of the long loading process but it was like we were passing dozens (hundreds?) of floors filled with people just going about their daily business.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

My loading screens didn't take long at all, so I didn't really mind.

But, I'll say elevators anyway. Because I enjoyed the news reports. ^_^

 

[Extragorey]

I actually liked the Assassin's Creed loading screens, where it's basically an empty world which you can run around in with your character. And because for a game as awesome as AC2, the loading times were very short.

 

[MrStab]

My favourite loading screens have been the various ones from Dragonball Z games because they were both interactive and interesting enough to pass the time needed.

 

[notyouraveragejoe]

now that i think about it, i'd prefer elevators. at least i know when the game freezes.

So true. I do prefer elevator style things. However some loading screens are okay if you can do something during them. Some of the Dragonball games do give you a minigame to do which I think is okay.

 

[zehydra]

I'd probably prefer loading screens, simply because eventually I'll be playing this game on a faster computer someday, which will be able to load things faster than what the elevator sequence might end up being (for games with the Metroid-style elevator).

 

[RanD00M]

Elevators because you could hear news and that would sometimes give you a quest or talk about something you just did. Also hearing squad mates talking about something usually hilarious.

 

[Lenin211]

I would say loading screens. I know that it destroys immersion but I remember the first time I took an elevator in mass effect and It was awful. At least with a loading screen it can give you a helpful tip ie. "Grenades Explode"

 

[Jamash]

I prefer loading screens.

Elevators are frustratingly slow and you start to wish you could take the stairs (because at least you'd still be controlling your character and experiencing game play).

Also, why was the elevator in the Normandy so crap? It took almost as long as the Citadel elevators to go down to the cargo bay, it would have definitely been quicker to walk or use a fireman's pole.

Loading screens masquerading as elevators are bad, they're boring and they can be illogical when you start thinking of distance relative to time.

At least with a loading screen, you know that the game is loading and you have all control taken away from you without the weak pretence that you're still experiencing game-play.

I don't really find they break the flow of the game since they're a just a reality of playing games... at least now you don't have to swap floppy discs or turn over the tape cassette between areas, plus the loading screen can also be used to display tips, trivia or stats to make them more interesting.

 

[Redingold]

I prefer loading screens.

Elevators are frustratingly slow and you start to wish you could take the stairs (because at least you'd still be controlling your character and experiencing game play).

Also, why was the elevator in the Normandy so crap? It took almost as long as the Citadel elevators to go down to the cargo bay, it would have definitely been quicker to walk or use a fireman's pole.

You know, you could replace elevator with loading screen and your points would sum up my feelings on the matter.

 

[Ed James]

What about Portal (2)? They had the best of both worlds, elevators with dialogue and loading screens ^^