Protagonists moving slower

[Doom972]

I think that it depends on the level of realism that the developer wants the player to experience. Since more games today try to be realistic, we see characters move at realistic paces.

I'd say from the moment the "walk" key changed to the "sprint" key in most games, protagonists have been moving slower and slower.

So, yes.

To be fair before then we had the lunacy of having a 'run' key instead of a 'walk' one and a 'walk' button isn't really required these days (on consoles at least) because you just tilt the analogue stick less to go into walk

It works the same on the PC, only instead of pushing the stick half-way, you hold the Shift key while pressing the move forward (usually W) key, or just use Caps Lock to toggle run/walk. The only game I can recall that actually has separate walk and run buttons is Hitman: Codename 47.

 

[Legion]

I think in a lot of FPS games you now move slower as they tend to have optional sprint abilities such as Skyrim, Halo Reach and 4, Farcry 3 etc.

I guess it's to make the sprint more noticeable, or perhaps it's for balance reasons.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well OP you are comparing a butchered point and click RPG with a straight up action platformer, apples and anvils.

But it has been a regular thing in shooters so they can go with tiny levels, and just generally make it all slow and manageable for casual play, blend in some insta death, insta melee, regen health, no colors, two weapons only and you got the perfect mix.

 

[SweetShark]

Well, if you think about it, it is normal to move slow.
If every single character moved like the DoomGuy from the Doom series, sh*t would get real!!!
If I remember right, when Doomguy shoot a rocket from his Rocket Launcher, he can then run so fast that he outrun the f*cking rocket!!!

I love the old games.

 

[DustyDrB]

It only irks me when the player character walks slower than NPCs but runs faster. So I get this ridiculous thing going on where I walk for a bit, run to catch up, then repeat.

 

[Tallim]

It only irks me when the player character walks slower than NPCs but runs faster. So I get this ridiculous thing going on where I walk for a bit, run to catch up, then repeat.

I find the opposite annoying as well, having to slow down because I need to follow someone is really irritating.

 

[Pulse]

Some reasons.

1. Realism/atmosphere.
2. The rise of cover (3rd and first person) instead of dodging bullets.
3. Game length.
4. Multiplayer lag.

 

[Lilani]

Is it me, or are protagonists moving slower? I was replaying Dragon Age 2 to get ready for 3, then took a break and dug out my ps2 and Prince of Persia Two Thrones game, and the prince seemed to be zipping along. I realise these might not be prime examples but does anyone else see this disturbing trend?

I've never played either of these games, but the way I understand Dragon Age and Prince of Persia are two completely different types of games. Dragon Age is an open world medieval adventuring kind of game, and Prince of Persia is a more linear platforming game with a more hack-n-slash and thief-like main character.[footnote]And if I'm totally off base here, feel free to correct me.[/footnote] Comparing how the characters move in those games is like comparing Skyrim and Portal, or Pokemon and Psychonauts.

If you compare them to other games within their genre, things are more similar. Dragon Age shouldn't be too different from Skyrim or other open world medieval-type games, and Prince of Persia shouldn't be too different from Assassin's Creed or Psychonauts or whatever. They move differently because they are different types of games with different types of gameplay. Pretty simple, really.

 

[kurokotetsu]

Shooter seem to have become slower over the years. I still play UT2K4 and Borderlands 2 with my mates and one is significantly slower. That is a bad thing? Not necessarily. The bullet dodging in one game isn't fit to the others atmosphere. We need a little of both, for different reasons. But I hate the modern competitive scene being so slow, it isn't fun for me.

 

[AgentLampshade]

I still have intentions of walking the whole of Liberty City (GTAIV version) in one sitting and taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

I haven't done it yet because I hate Liberty City.

 

[teqrevisited]

I think it just comes down to what movement speed fits the game. I recently finished playing through Doom & Doom 2 again. I can't imagine playing that and moving at a walking pace because you'd get horribly murdered.

A lot of games nowadays go for a sort of authenticity that nobody was really all that concerned about when 2d sprites were running around with the simple goal of trying to arrange your entrails into amusing shapes.

 

[Kathinka]

primary reason is probably console controllers.

thumbsticks don't allow for the spot-on lightning fast accuracy a mouse does. they are more of a slow approximation tool than a real aiming device. the overal speed of games had to be lowered thus to make them still playable.

 

[shrekfan246]

You know, Dante actually moves faster in the new Devil May Cry than he did back in Devil May Cry 3.

I don't know if I would say they're slower. Morrowind's player character moves pretty damn slow, as do protagonists from Playstation 2 games like Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid 3, Shadow of the Colossus, and more that I don't want to think up right now. Hell, Okami is probably one of the few games I'd say has a "fast" protagonist, and that's just because there's tiers to the running speed in that game.

When characters run too fast, it always looks weird. Especially in games that don't actually sync up the animations to the movement speed.

 

[Vigormortis]

I'd say from the moment the "walk" key changed to the "sprint" key in most games, protagonists have been moving slower and slower.

So, yes.

To be fair before then we had the lunacy of having a 'run' key instead of a 'walk' one and a 'walk' button isn't really required these days (on consoles at least) because you just tilt the analogue stick less to go into walk

You're assuming everyone uses an analog stick for movement.

In the past, most first and third-person games, on PC, had "walk" keys. Or, in some cases, a "walk/run" toggle. (often with the option to have "always run" turned on, delegating the toggle key to simply "walk")

Now, even on consoles, most characters move at a slow speed - only moving faster when the "sprint" key is pressed.

At the same time, a shift in priorities of what developers expect players to do; or be able to do; has caused many games to "slow down". This is especially true for many console-centric games as analog-stick-based aiming is inherently "laggy".

 

[Woodsey]

I think every game has a sprint button anyway nowadays so they could afford to make things a bit slower.

And they tend to last for three seconds even though they barely measure up to a half-decent jogging pace. The most laughable transition was going from Crysis' three movement speeds, the regular run speed of which was decent already, to Crysis 2's version of "speed mode" which seemed slower than Crysis' regular sprint.

OT: I am fucking sick to the back teeth of characters whose regular run speed is now seemingly set to a gentle jaunt through the countryside on a Sunday afternoon. Far Cry 3 was an utter blessing.

 

[BrotherRool]

I'd say from the moment the "walk" key changed to the "sprint" key in most games, protagonists have been moving slower and slower.

So, yes.

To be fair before then we had the lunacy of having a 'run' key instead of a 'walk' one and a 'walk' button isn't really required these days (on consoles at least) because you just tilt the analogue stick less to go into walk

You're assuming everyone uses an analog stick for movement.

In the past, most first and third-person games, on PC, had "walk" keys. Or, in some cases, a "walk/run" toggle. (often with the option to have "always run" turned on, delegating the toggle key to simply "walk")

Now, even on consoles, most characters move at a slow speed - only moving faster when the "sprint" key is pressed.

At the same time, a shift in priorities of what developers expect players to do; or be able to do; has caused many games to "slow down". This is especially true for many console-centric games as analog-stick-based aiming is inherently "laggy".

I did see (on consoles): I was remembering back to the good FFVII'ish times where you're character walked unless you held a button to run =D Mad design

EDIT: I also think the sprint button works well as a tactical thing. If they're genuinely slowing players down for it, then naturally thats less cool

EDIT EDIT: Actually that raises a question, if consoles have been making successful console exclusive/dominant games since before Mario, how come stuff like lack of sensitivity of analogue sticks/poor memory is only being brought up now? Was there a divide between PC and console games which has closed and so the PC games are suffering by the union. I never really thought about it before. I guess that must be it, Infinity Engine RPGs and Thief were a world apart from the majority of playstation games and the JRPGs

 

[Joccaren]

Depends on the game: In some you're starting to move faster.
In general though, yeah, you move slower. I don't like it, but its not that big a deal to me. Its just part of the greater problem really, and at this point it hasn't become so major a part that it really pisses me off - unless its one of those forced walking for conversation sections, and then that's more a problem with having cutscenes or their ilk every 30 seconds in gameplay, which pisses me off to no end when I just want to play the damn game.

 

[aguspal]

As much as a I loved the game, the very first game I thougt when I read the title was Dead Rising 2.


I honestly dont know who moves so slow in a freaking zombie apocalipse. I dont get it. Even with the speed level ups you still move so fucking slow. ITs kinda justificable since the game runs on a timer the whole... eh, time. But its still anyoning as hell.