Poll: Stealth: forced or optional

[Cthulhu's Priest]

After playing Splinter Cell: Conviction which, I feel didn't handle the stealth well, I've become curious as to what people on the Escapist feel on stealth, should be an optional method in order to pick off enemies or avoid a fight altogether? Or should it be the only way win with all other options most likely resulting in death. And another question: if you were a game designer, how exactly would you handle stealth in a game?

 

[Outright Villainy]

I like games where using stealth isn't strictly necessary, but is a huge advantage, and you'll be harshly punished for failing, such as Metal gear solid. I like the way you can fight your way back to sneakiness though, it flows better than simply restarting.

 

[Hellion25]

Optional for me definitely. I suck at stealth, and would at least like the option to get out of situations that said suckage has caused.

 

[kampori]

I always prefer the stealth route rather than combat. I just hate fast paced action, and am horrible at anything that requires fast moving bullets and things like that. I always feel anytime I get shot at, I've fucked up. Especially in things such as Batman AA or Splinter Cell.

I have such satisfaction killing only who needs to be killed. Such as getting the best score in things like Hitman games. Love the feeling.

 

[Marter]

Some stealth games can be a lot of fun, but I generally prefer to just have the option of using it. It gives the gameplay variety, and can make the game last more playthroughs.

 

[Janus Vesta]

I prefer forced stealth. There are far too many shooters these days, stealth games are a good change of pace(considering there are less than 50 stealth series and thousands of shooters). When you make it optional it becomes a bad game, it's bad at stealth because it doesn't want to force it on you and it's bad at action because it wants to be stealth. Splintercell Conviction plays a lot like a bad TPS if you dan't actively try to sneak, and even then it keeps trying to force you into combat.

Also, the Iraq level, what were they thinking?

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I love stealth aspects of gaming because i see it as one big puzzle and for me that's very challenging. How to get from the danger zone to the safety area without causing so much as a whisper of noise.

 

[DazZ.]

When it's optional the stealth feels pathetic though.

Where is the fun in sneaking around if as soon as you're detected you can just blast your way out.
There is no danger in that at all, which makes it for a watered down experience on both sides.

I like it forced, and there are not enough stealth games at the moment by far.

 

[Flour]

The last two console MGS games had(somewhat) optional stealth. Well, all MGS games had optional stealth, it's just that stealth made the game a lot easier

MGS4 is also the only game in which I actually like the stealth because it's kept very simple and the shooter controls are decent.(if it's too hard, there's even an auto aim mode)

 

[PDizzle418]

I do enjoy a bit of stealth but you need the ability to fight if you fuck things up. Otherwise it's just a glorified game of hot chocolate and very boring.

This is basically how I feel about it.

Stealth is a lot of fun and when you are forced to be stealthy it usually just gets frustrating, one mission in AC2 I had to redo about 9 times because it was a don't get caught at all, and frustrating doesn't begin to describe it.

However if you played AC2 you could do almost all of the missions without killing a single other guard. I didn't cause I thought it was hilarious stealing weapons and then killing them with their own weapons, but you get my drift.

Splinter cell, especially in the later iterations in the game have gotten better at making stealth an option rather than a requirement. I never finished the first two games because of how big of a pain the required stealth was. but I got a bit further with each game. Now I thoroughly enjoyed chaos theory and double agent. I haven't played the new one but I'm excited to give it a go. I'm especially excited for the tag and kill feature where you can tage ceratin enemies in a room and hit them all at once basically. giving you the advantage in a firefight and making stealth a way to win not a requirement.

I've always enjoyed sneaking up on people and taking them captive but you need to have an alternative and somegames punish you too severly, like metal gear solid, in that if you mess up once you get boned three ways to tomorrow and then get to go way back and try everythign all over again. yay!

 

[SimuLord]

Optional, but if you can't do it right, don't do it at all. I loved stealth in Oblivion and Fallout 3---it was a viable way to play a character.

Not so much in Morrowind, where it was handled badly.

 

[SilkySkyKitten]

Optional. In my opinion, passing through an area covertly in a game where you could have simply gone Rambo on everyone is more satisfying than in a game where it's game over if you are spotted. 007: Quantum of Solace and the first half of No One Lives Forever are good examples of this.

What is really annoying, however, is if the game shifts from "stealth is optional" to mid-game "stealth or game over." That was the exact reason I wasn't too fond of a few of the later missions in NOLF...

 

[Katana314]

Batman:AA's stealth is optional? What Godmode cheat did you use?

I've only played one game where optional stealth actually worked; Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. If you solely focus on the sneak skill, you can hide in moderately-dark areas to basically be invisible to people right in front of you. You could call it easy-mode, but it was a nice reward for the focus.

 

[LordGarbageMan]

I think that Splinter Cell Chaos Theory's stealth system really was the most fun for me. Conviction was alright, but it just didn't seem as real to me, more like a james bond movie. I prefer the slower paced games in the series.

 

[Mozared]

Definitely forced, as making it optional simply makes it completely obsolete in 99% of the cases. The thing really is that if you do make it forced, you need to do it right. Like in the Thief games. If using stealth isn't an enormous hassle, nobody will mind being forced into using it. If it's optional, you get the what I call "commandos syndrome" where you can beat entire missions by shooting every damn enemy in the area and then strutting on your merry way.

 

[Cthulhu's Priest]

Batman:AA's stealth is optional? What Godmode cheat did you use?

I meant that in the way that since most of the enemies didn't have guns you could barge in beat the crap out of all of them. Yes there are parts where you can't allow yourself to be detected by anyone for whatever reason but most of the game you had the option to run in and show the criminals Batman's kung fu glory.

Edit: Apsham I was specifically referring to MGS 1, sorry I probably could've chosen better examples but those were just what came to mind when I posted.

 

[Tony2077]

I don't mind either way as long as its done well

 

[Insanum]

Optional all the way.

I love being able to sit back and look at the situation, And pick off the enemies one by one.

I hate it when im forced to sneak past one guy in a hall of mirrors, when i have a perfectly good silenced cutting edge rifle.