Poll: Let's finish this.

[lacktheknack]

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than just Realistic and Sci-Fi shooters. What would you call Max Payne? Or The Darkness? Or Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? Or any number of games that do not fit in the categories of 'Realistic' or 'Sci-Fi'?

Actually The Darkness and VTM: Bloodlines count as Sci-fi. Horror featuring monsters is a sub-genre of science fiction.

There's no science to vampires, you know. The whole point of science fiction is "Something that science would theoretically allow".

Science doesn't allow for classic vampires, werewolves, or demonic snakes launching out of someone. Thus, it's fantasy. Everything with aspects that can only be classified as "MAGIC!" (say, vampires melting in the son or no longer needing food, werewolves breaking the laws of matter and turning into animals for a night, or demonic snakes launching out of someone), it's defined as fantasy.

 

[octafish]

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than just Realistic and Sci-Fi shooters. What would you call Max Payne? Or The Darkness? Or Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? Or any number of games that do not fit in the categories of 'Realistic' or 'Sci-Fi'?

I've played VtM:B many many times, I don't think I have ever shot anyone...no wait, Bach when he is on the balcony, I think I may occasionally take some pot shots at him...shooting people in VtM:B is the least interesting combat option in the game, especially given Gimble's severed limbs, Vampire powers, and your bare hands.

Anyway neither BF or COD are realistic, that phrase deserves to be reserved for the likes of ARMA, Red Orchestra, the Original Rainbow Six/Ghost Recon games, SWAT and Operation Flashpoint. Maybe you should say either Contemporary Combat games or High Visual fidelity games depending on how you want to categorize them by either content or look.

I like the BF, TF2, Enemy Territory team based shooters when it comes to multiplayer. Enemy Territoy is available in both of your "categories" a WW2 version and a Quake one. My all time favorite multiplayer games would be either Planetside (terrible pings on US only servers, but I still kept playing it) and Battlefield 2142. They weren't great because of the Sci-Fi setting (although the Walkers and Titans in BF2142 helped) they were great because they were great games.

EDIT: I haven't tried Tribes:Ascent yet, but I am looking forward to it, and Planetside 2... Firefall not so much as it seems to be a PvE Co-Op MMO.

I can't think of a recent Sci-Fi shooter that was any good, Deus Ex:HR was a very enjoyable Stealth RPG game but a so so shooter, Mass Effect is digital wack-a-mole which only got less fun with the 2nd game, and the rest have been either so uninspiring I gave them a miss, or console exclusives.

 

[Zhukov]

Eh, they can both be done well.

 

[loc978]

I was gonna say there's no such thing as a realistic shooter, and then I remembered the original Rainbow Six. Damn you, Tom Clancy!

I really don't have a preference there. I'm only that specific with what I don't like... which pretty much goes thumbsticks, simplistic map design and no long-term consequence for taking damage.

 

[Something Amyss]

We need to settle this dammit! *thumps table*

Fine: Which do you like better? Good shooters or bad shooters?

LET'S DO THIS!

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than just Realistic and Sci-Fi shooters. What would you call Max Payne? Or The Darkness? Or Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? Or any number of games that do not fit in the categories of 'Realistic' or 'Sci-Fi'?

I've played VtM:B many many times, I don't think I have ever shot anyone...no wait, Bach when he is on the balcony, I think I may occasionally take some pot shots at him...shooting people in VtM:B is the least interesting combat option in the game, especially given Gimble's severed limbs, Vampire powers, and your bare hands.

Anyway neither BF or COD are realistic, that phrase deserves to be reserved for the likes of ARMA, Red Orchestra, the Original Rainbow Six/Ghost Recon games, SWAT and Operation Flashpoint. Maybe you should say either Contemporary Combat games or High Visual fidelity games depending on how you want to categorize them by either content or look.

I like the BF, TF2, Enemy Territory team based shooters when it comes to multiplayer. Enemy Territoy is available in both of your "categories" a WW2 version and a Quake one. My all time favorite multiplayer games would be either Planetside (terrible pings on US only servers, but I still kept playing it) and Battlefield 2142. They weren't great because of the Sci-Fi setting (although the Walkers and Titans in BF2142 helped) they were great because they were great games.

EDIT: I haven't tried Tribes:Ascent yet, but I am looking forward to it, and Planetside 2... Firefall not so much as it seems to be a PvE Co-Op MMO.

I can't think of a recent Sci-Fi shooter that was any good, Deus Ex:HR was a very enjoyable Stealth RPG game but a so so shooter, Mass Effect is digital wack-a-mole which only got less fun with the 2nd game, and the rest have been either so uninspiring I gave them a miss, or console exclusives.

Fair point, Bloodlines is more RPG than Shooter by a long shot, but it sure as hell isn't Sci-Fi.

 

[DoPo]

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than just Realistic and Sci-Fi shooters. What would you call Max Payne? Or The Darkness? Or Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? Or any number of games that do not fit in the categories of 'Realistic' or 'Sci-Fi'?

Actually The Darkness and VTM: Bloodlines count as Sci-fi. Horror featuring monsters is a sub-genre of science fiction.

Are you kidding me? They're what's called Fantasy. Sci-Fi is shorthand for Science. Fiction. There's about as much science in Bloodlines as in My Little Pony. You gain the ability to call something like Bloodlines sci-fi, you can pretty much call anything Sci-Fi, right down to The Lord of the Rings. It's -Urban Fantasy-, look it up sometime.

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than just Realistic and Sci-Fi shooters. What would you call Max Payne? Or The Darkness? Or Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? Or any number of games that do not fit in the categories of 'Realistic' or 'Sci-Fi'?

Actually The Darkness and VTM: Bloodlines count as Sci-fi. Horror featuring monsters is a sub-genre of science fiction.

There's no science to vampires, you know. The whole point of science fiction is "Something that science would theoretically allow".

Science doesn't allow for classic vampires, werewolves, or demonic snakes launching out of someone. Thus, it's fantasy. Everything with aspects that can only be classified as "MAGIC!" (say, vampires melting in the son or no longer needing food, werewolves breaking the laws of matter and turning into animals for a night, or demonic snakes launching out of someone), it's defined as fantasy.

I think that was a joke. He was poking fun of the notion that only two types of shooters exist and whatever cannot be categorised as "realistic" would therefore be "sci-fi". At least I hope so.

OT: Gee, so really either "realistic" or "sci-fi", really? Really? And Mass Effect is a sci-fi shooter. If TC doesn't come back soon to clarify his statement, I'm going to go and assume it's a flamebite - a misleading title, a poll that doesn't make much sense, ditto for the OP.

 

[StashAugustine]

Define terms better- I'm pretty sure FEAR and Deus Ex are more 'realistic' in gameplay than CoD. This thread either asks "Do you prefer hardcore or stylized" or "Scifi or modern?"

 

[GundamSentinel]

Well, both... Realistic shooters I usually play for brainless fun, and sci-fi for awe and story.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

They really are not that realistic
You should try America's Army, they built that game around being realistic.

 

[Wayneguard]

It depends on my mood. I love a good sci-fi space marine romp as much as the next guy but lately I've been in the mood for a realistic tactical shooter. I just bought SWAT4 off of amazon and I'm waiting for it to arrive. So... both?

 

[Treefingers]

Finish what now? I don't understand how this poll is going to finish anything.

>Implying there was ever a conflict over which genre was preferred.

I like good shooters.

Doesn't matter what I'm shooting and in which location in the Omniverse I'm shooting them.

This.

Am I missing something? Is there yet another new kind of petty war going amongst gamers...? Are you trying to start one?

Personally, I like all shooters that don't suck.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Very much sci-fi. Realism is not why I play video games. It can be fun to go play a MW2 death match every now and then (I say MW2 because it's actually playable/enjoyable since it doesn't have a busted spawning system) but really the sci-fi shooters tend to have much better stories, environments, enemies, and guns.

 

[Vanitas likes Bubbles]

This got me thinking, why aren't there fantasy shooters?

OT: As long as they're good, I play them.

 

[Old Father Eternity]

Just saying, a bullet does not always go where you point the barrel, many of today's shooters may be more or less realistic about the over-all combat setting but games that at least try to go for actual ballistics realism are few, even more so evident with games allowing modification where the mod communities do their best to bring it closer to actual real life values.

To be on topic however, it does not matter to me in what setting the game takes place, sci-fi, contemporary or historical, or fantasy, as long as the game-play mechanics are at least somewhat realistic to the setting and actually work.
Above may be disregarded in the case games that are by nature more for shts and giggles than serious business.

 

[Sinclair Solutions]

Meh, I can't say it really matters to me. As long as the story and gameplay are done well, I could care less the setting. A well made game is a well made game. BUT, if I was forced to make a choice, I would say sci-fi, since there is a greater potential for originality and things we haven't seen before. A weapon that shoots laser cats? Sure, definitely seems plausible in such a setting.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Fuck shooters. RPGs are where it's at.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some dragons to Shout at.