I have a little recipe for what makes a game fun.
If posible I would like for the question to be answered in the recipe. This is the recipe.
Intensity- Usually requires elements of unpredictability. Produces excitement and addiction.
Realism- Inane in a vacuum. A versatile tool when combined with other elements. Can provide comfort, consistency, justifications, fairness, enlightenment and challenge.
Unpredictability- Requires realism for the sake of fairness, can produce intensity and challenge.
Comfort- Difficult to quantify and produce. Brands and controls are common stimulants for comfort. Without it everything else can break down.
Enlightenment- A combination of accomplishment and learning. Usually a product of comfort and challenge. Addictive
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For example my favorite game is Pool of Radiance
Why was it Intense?
The level of difficulty was solid unlike Pool of Darkness which was too hard. Low level D&D is is inherently more tense. Characters are more vulnerable. The enemy was well protected and his defenses were intelligently laid. To defeat the enemy was guarded by partols of Gorgons, giants, a poisonous maze of thorn bushes.
Why was it realistic
Encounters Encounters Encounters
Enemy strongholds were not laid out like Dragon Age sidecroller encounters. You didnt fight waves of filler combat to the extent you do in many 'modern' titles. The encounters were based on a pen and paper style map. Again the damage threshold in low level D&D is more realistic. There were several encounters that required infiltration when a direct approach would have meant facing numbers that were too great for a low level party.
Why was it Unpredictable
Too many ways to count.
No level scaling
The Specter in the libary
The treasure in the Bane temple
There were rare encounters. I only faced quicklings once
There were unique items like the Efretti bottle that only helped when you faced the one Vampire in the game
Why was it Comfortable
The ruleset was consistent. The game didnt level scale so the world felt familiar at all times.
Why was in Enlightening
You couldn't take short cuts. You had to play smart to win. You only advanced from level 1 to 6 or 8 depending on class yet in the time you could slaughter giants that would have made short work of your party at level 1.It was the first party based D&D CRPG that really forced you to advance a party a fight strategically.
If posible I would like for the question to be answered in the recipe. This is the recipe.
Intensity- Usually requires elements of unpredictability. Produces excitement and addiction.
Realism- Inane in a vacuum. A versatile tool when combined with other elements. Can provide comfort, consistency, justifications, fairness, enlightenment and challenge.
Unpredictability- Requires realism for the sake of fairness, can produce intensity and challenge.
Comfort- Difficult to quantify and produce. Brands and controls are common stimulants for comfort. Without it everything else can break down.
Enlightenment- A combination of accomplishment and learning. Usually a product of comfort and challenge. Addictive
<
For example my favorite game is Pool of Radiance
Why was it Intense?
The level of difficulty was solid unlike Pool of Darkness which was too hard. Low level D&D is is inherently more tense. Characters are more vulnerable. The enemy was well protected and his defenses were intelligently laid. To defeat the enemy was guarded by partols of Gorgons, giants, a poisonous maze of thorn bushes.
Why was it realistic
Encounters Encounters Encounters
Enemy strongholds were not laid out like Dragon Age sidecroller encounters. You didnt fight waves of filler combat to the extent you do in many 'modern' titles. The encounters were based on a pen and paper style map. Again the damage threshold in low level D&D is more realistic. There were several encounters that required infiltration when a direct approach would have meant facing numbers that were too great for a low level party.
Why was it Unpredictable
Too many ways to count.
No level scaling
The Specter in the libary
The treasure in the Bane temple
There were rare encounters. I only faced quicklings once
There were unique items like the Efretti bottle that only helped when you faced the one Vampire in the game
Why was it Comfortable
The ruleset was consistent. The game didnt level scale so the world felt familiar at all times.
Why was in Enlightening
You couldn't take short cuts. You had to play smart to win. You only advanced from level 1 to 6 or 8 depending on class yet in the time you could slaughter giants that would have made short work of your party at level 1.It was the first party based D&D CRPG that really forced you to advance a party a fight strategically.
