Poll: Power in Video Games?

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Hey, fellow Escapists. I just wanted to ask how powerful you prefer your characters to be in games?

Personally, I love games that make me feel weak for some reason. It's why I prefer the Silent Hill games to the new Resident Evils or Bioshock (though Bioshock was a great game). It's why I got really bored with games like Prototype and Just Cause 2. It's why the first hour I played Minecraft when I didn't know what to do and almost died was the my favorite part. It's why when I played Fallout: New Vegas, I chose Hardcore mode and the highest difficulty then searched for a mod that made water and food less frequent so starvation was more likely.

For me, it's not about difficulty or realism, I just like a game that can make me feel small, weak, lost, crippled, defeated, ect over a game that makes you feel absurdly powerful.

So how about you guys?

EDIT: I just realized I posted this in Off-Topic, my bad

 

[Skorpyo]

The Fallout 3 progression always seemed to be rather well balanced, and it kept my interest for a good, long time.

Until I hit level 22 and started seeing Deathclaw's everywhere, that is.

 

[alrekr]

Well I like my there to be a progression of power; but one that is confined to within some realistic scale.

I would like to see a game where you get weaker as the game goes on...


However I will always have a soft spot for the OVER 9000 characters.

 

[Phlakes]

Progression is nearly always great. When you play RPGs that aren't Oblivion, it feels so good when you go back to an early area late in the game and you can one-shot the mini bosses that gave you lots of trouble before.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

Depends almost entirely on the setting.

Yep.

I like them all in different games. For survival horror, I definitely prefer my characters to feel powerless otherwise it can't even be called "survival horror" at all. It's just "horror" at that point.

In RPGs, though, I like to gradually progress into feeling like a hero. And then sometimes I just enjoy feeling overpowered for fun.

 

[Zhukov]

I want my protagonists weak and desperate, but somehow struggling on anyway.

I find that so very much more interesting and compelling than yet another fucking 80's-action-movie "badass" or Level 99 stat-based superhuman.

Besides, at the end of the day, which one is really more badass: the comparitively weak person who manages to overcome challenges that should be beyond their ability, or the one who wins by having 300 damage and 1000hp? Because, to me, the latter just sounds like a schoolyard bully simulation.

 

[Rockchimp69]

I voted the RPG style but I don't really like how some games have a levelling up system for everything like Bethesda games do (As in enemies level up and so does armour and other equipment you find).

My favourite would be a game which used an RPG like levelling up system but rather than just making the player unstoppable, it introduces loads of concepts and strategies and ways of playing the game which level the player up rather than the character.
E.G. unlocking weapons which are harder to use in general but yield better results.
E.G. Resident Evil 4 adds loads of newer more powerful weapons but the you have to ration ammo and rely on your knife + pistol skills more often than that.

The character becoming more powerful should only be there to make the game more variable with higher stakes, i.e. a beginner should not be able to breeze through higher levels just because they are playing someone's high level character.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Power progression is always my favorite, it has that skinner box addiction that really pulls you along, just need to make sure it's never an MMO or you will be signing off your life.

 

[standokan]

The RPG option easily, I enjoy being powerful way more when I've earned it.

 

[StormShaun]

Mines the RPG, always a fan of the RPG system, weak at first then turn into a GOD!

Spoiler

For example the shivering isles when you kill the last boss and then boom YOU ARE A GOD!

 

[Farther than stars]

I honestly cannot pick just one. I like to play varied games. Pick and mix if you will, otherwise one type of game would just before dreary. Games which speak to me in this situation are ones which have multiple classes or approaches like TF2 or Fallout 3, where picking one class is never a sure way to win, but they all have their own merrits are it's fun to try them all out. Although it is really hard to iron out the balance issues in those.
Also I have a gripe about "Realistically powerful". I understand that Altaïr/Ezio and Military soldiers are still in keeping with the realms of possiblity, but it hardly reflects realistic standards. After all, you're leaving hundreds of armed men in your wake without even breaking a sweat. Going by "realistic standards", I'd say that most of the Silent Hill characters are in fact realistically strong. They seem to create a kind of middle ground between aloof and unfeeling machomen and people who would crack so hard under that kind of pressure that they'd just go to huddle up in a corner cry.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Assassin's creed is realistically powerful? I disagree, but if you say so.

Actually, I tend to like my heroes underpowered in their environment, because it gives you a sense of danger around every corner, a thrill of terror when even a weak enemy can kill you with ease. Every struggle seems more satisfying when you're not just juggernauting through.

Though it is relative to the game, I suppose.

 

[manythings]

Context makes my decision. Being insanely powerful can be fun but I agree that being insanely powerful and you really only facing new guys with stupidly large healthbars and ridiculously damaging attacks is not fun.

Shadow of the colossus had my favourite instance cause of being a guy being given a chance but never just being handed the victory.

 

[Farther than stars]

I want my protagonists weak and desperate, but somehow struggling on anyway.

I find that so very much more interesting and compelling than yet another fucking 80's-action-movie "badass" or Level 99 stat-based superhuman.

Besides, at the end of the day, which one is really more badass: the comparitively weak person who manages to overcome challenges that should be beyond their ability, or the one who wins by having 300 damage and 1000hp? Because, to me, the latter just sounds like a schoolyard bully simulation.

I hear exactly what you're saying. Especially in a game like GTA 4 or Just Cause 2 I find myself wondering from time to time whether all the cops and militia I'm gunning down don't have wives or children. I know they're only ones and zeros and their families haven't been rendered in any way, but it makes you wonder what kind of good the main character can actually do in the game if you're ruining so many people's lives just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's more of a theoretical morality question than an applicable one at the time.
Anyway, if you haven't already you should check out Yahtzee's column on "leveling backwards". Those arguments you brought up actually reminded me of it, so you might find it interesting to have a look at.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I like slightly overpowered, because it is just fun to run around soaking up bullets like the terminator.

 

[DanielBrown]

"Starting out weak, but progressing to powerful (Any RPG ever)"

I like advancing over time and earning my awesomeness. Probably why I love MMO's so much. Also got a thing for "Over 9000!" option, so it's a close second.

 

[pppppppppppppppppp]

Also I have a gripe about "Realistically powerful". I understand that Altaïr/Ezio and Military soldiers are still in keeping with the realms of possiblity, but it hardly reflects realistic standards. After all, you're leaving hundreds of armed men in your wake without even breaking a sweat. Going by "realistic standards", I'd say that most of the Silent Hill characters are in fact realistically strong. They seem to create a kind of middle ground between aloof and unfeeling machomen and people who would crack so hard under that kind of pressure that they'd just go to huddle up in a corner cry.

Yeah, I get what you mean. I just meant realistically powerful by protagonist standards since it's a given that the protagonist in pretty much any story will withstand more damage than anyone else. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlotArmor]

 

[let's rock]

Depends if there will be a new game+ feature. if so, start out weak, get strong. if not, over 9000 baby. although is it's a survival horror, I want weak like silent hill 2, because silent hill 2 would have been a lot less scary if you had a rocket launcher

 

[FalloutJack]

I like a progression of abilities to some extent. Even when I cheat, I like to leave a little room for growth because otherwise it might not be as fun.