Poll: Realism in gaming, (where) should it stop?

[headshotcatcher]

I was just playing Call of Duty 5. My thoughts race when I'm playing boring games and I was thinking, hmm what would it be like in a real war. In CoD 5 (or WaW whatever you want) I found myself shooting teammates (in singleplayer) or letting them die just to get their gun or ammo. I know I would NEVER do such a thing in real life or even in games like Half-Life 2.

I went on thinking and gaming until came to the conclusion that it was probably the (lack of) realism and character development in games which made you do stuff like this.

Now my question is, how far should realism and (less importantly) character development go?

For example, would you rather see games where you'd actually feel like you are in the warzone and feel sorry for your virtual comrades if they'd virtually die, or would you rather have things very arcade-ish and your comrades just being ammo supply?

Share your thoughts!

Sorry if other threads like this exist, I've watched the first 5 pages of the search and I didn't see anything that addressed this subject.

Edit: Forgot to add my own opinion

I personally think they should make games that feel almost like it's real so you really get immersed and you feel as if you are supporting and being supported by team mates. Not only would this make the feel of the game a lot better, it would also make people think about the situation in game.

 

[Zydrate]

I like games in all directions of the spectrum. I didn't vote because it's kind of flawed. Arcade games and Realistic FPS's are two different genres entirely.

But as far as games that try to be realistic? The realer, the better. I actually want to give a damn about the characters.

 

[Martymer]

I voted 4/5. I love immersion, but I don't want to end up with post-traumatic stress disorder over something that happens in a game. I don't know what it's like to be in a real fire fight, and I'd like to keep it that way, if possible. I sure as hell wouldn't do it for fun! There's also the balance issue. If one bullet is gonna take you out, or at least hurt you so bad that you can't keep fighting, it'll be hard to make the game fun.

The realism I look for in games isn't in combat, though, but in internal logic and NPC interaction (both scripted and AI controlled). Take Baldur's Gate II, for example. On my first play-through, I found myself so immersed that I actually developed feelings for the supporting characters. And I don't mean just "she's a *****" or "he's funny", but feelings like friendship and even romantic attraction. No, I don't think I'm nuts, because it only lasted while I was sitting there, playing. Once I turned it off, I was back in the real world, and my "friends" were just a bunch of ones and zeroes -- and how the hell can you have feelings for that? If the experience were to become more realistic, however, I think I might find myself in need of a shrink.

If AI:s become advanced enough to at least give the impression that NPCs are truly sentient, as opposed to controlled by (relatively speaking) simple algorithms, it could very well be too realistic for me. But I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon.

 

[Pimppeter2]

I like all type of games, a well donr mario game kicks GTAs asss

 

[T-Bone24]

Story-wise? Realistic, depending on the subject matter (if it's about magical aliens from the Z dimension, it doesn't need to be realistic) but gameplay wise, it's a game. It isn't a book, or film, or anything else, that's why games are successful in my eyes. You can't shoot zombies in real life, but games take you to a new world, a new story to live, a new place to go. NO game should involve writing letters, going to pick up one of your friends to go freaking bowling or having a weapon jam when firing. That's not fun.

 

[Danzaivar]

It should stop when realism hurts the story, or when the graphics budget starts to affect the budget for gameplay elements. I'll take Wind Waker graphics over GoW2 any day.

 

[Barry93]

Some realistic aspects are good and others are not. i prefer the ratchet and clank/R:FOM weapon wheel over the boring 2 weapon capacity. I also prefer weapons that don't exsist over ones that do.

 

[War Chief Will]

I always liked the realistic persona of games. Back in the days of halo:combat evolved i cared what happened to the marines during the fight against the covanant especially against the flood. I cared because of how real and immersive it felt to play, which made the game more througthly enjoyable.

 

[antipunt]

Realism should take it down a notch when...the game stops being fun

 

[headshotcatcher]

It should stop when realism hurts the story, or when the graphics budget starts to affect the budget for gameplay elements. I'll take Wind Waker graphics over GoW2 any day.

It's not always about the graphics, a game that looks very good, say, cod 5, can be less immersive than a game like deus ex, which was released 9 years ago.

 

[Fightgarr]

I have absolutely no desire to play any game with ultra-realism. I mean, having things like a physics engine is all well and good, but beyond that I wouldn't have it any other way than balls to the wall insane.
Plus, with realism I couldn't jump 20 metres in the air, where's the fun in that?

 

[Goldbling]

I voted 4/5. I love immersion, but I don't want to end up with post-traumatic stress disorder over something that happens in a game. I don't know what it's like to be in a real fire fight, and I'd like to keep it that way, if possible. I sure as hell wouldn't do it for fun! There's also the balance issue. If one bullet is gonna take you out, or at least hurt you so bad that you can't keep fighting, it'll be hard to make the game fun.

The realism I look for in games isn't in combat, though, but in internal logic and NPC interaction (both scripted and AI controlled). Take Baldur's Gate II, for example. On my first play-through, I found myself so immersed that I actually developed feelings for the supporting characters. And I don't mean just "she's a *****" or "he's funny", but feelings like friendship and even romantic attraction. No, I don't think I'm nuts, because it only lasted while I was sitting there, playing. Once I turned it off, I was back in the real world, and my "friends" were just a bunch of ones and zeroes -- and how the hell can you have feelings for that? If the experience were to become more realistic, however, I think I might find myself in need of a shrink.

If AI:s become advanced enough to at least give the impression that NPCs are truly sentient, as opposed to controlled by (relatively speaking) simple algorithms, it could very well be too realistic for me. But I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon.

Well In CoD, if they would make your teamates an actual target instead of just shooting you then a two bullet down might not be so bad

I also voted 4/5

 

[kawligia]

It depends on if you're talking about graphics or gameplay.

Graphics I would say about a 3. I think we are at the point where graphics look more than realistic enough and we should stop putting so much emphasis on it.

If you mean gameplay, I would say about a 4. Things should be as realistic as possible without sacraficing a significant amount of fun or game balance.

 

[Deef]

Realism should stop when we've got a game about working desk jobs and doing chores.

 

[samsprinkle]

I like games where your comrades do something. And I also like to play the game every now and then where I feel like some kindof death dealing god(halo cough).

 

[AdmiralWolverineLightningbolt]

games should keep things like explosions, enemies dropping ammo, ammo found in boxes, life systems, guns which work perfectly and the ability to win - along with fun considering real life's not always so fun

uber realistic car handling (just drive a car), a guy who can only take on 2 or 3 enemies, uber intelligent ai, having to stop and eat every so often, having to pee, depression in the main character cause the world's about to end and no checkpoints should not be in games

 

[Xvito]

I want realism in some areas and not in others. For example, you could make a game set in space and still have realistic physics, or you could have really many triangles in each screen but still make monsters with them.

 

[Kirra]

The entertainment value of games should never be sacrificed for realism. Also if a game is exacly like real life then why bother with the game, just go and live your life.