What Makes a Good Game?

[XDelusion]

I am starting this tread just to get some feed back on game difficulty preferences.

I understand there are some people who enjoy a game that they can just sit down and relax with, something that will challenge them, but not at the expense of wanting to throw the controller or mouse through the screen.

Then there are others who grew up with the Atari 2600 and NES who prefer a game that is extensively difficult, but once you learn the map, enemy placement, and so forth, you are able through memorization and skill, to complete the map eventually.

 Granted there are also other elements that make a game hard aside of the life and death factor, like puzzles, platforming, back tacking/exploring, and the like which should also be considered.

 So if you all will, please share with me what to you makes for a good game and to what degree you like your difficulty and so forth.

Thank you!

[XDelusion]

Being fun.

Ya, but your game isn't fun.

JOKING!!!

You know I love it!!!

[XDelusion]

This is a good question. But there are few universal answers. It largely depends on the type of the game.
Are we talking 3D shooters here ?

It is a broad question, and I wanted broad answers.

And yes, I am just kind of getting a feel from the community what their tastes are...

...in relation to my AB3D FPS.

Good news though, I have discovered a way to do motion comics and tell a story within the Odamex engine, now to find animators...

[XDelusion]

I would say its the "immersion" experience.  When a game is good you totally forget about the outside world.  

Feeling of accomplishment when you finish a level or a zone is also great.

Feeling of having full control on your character.  This is the worst with 3D shooters, when there is an explosion you feel like your character has parkinson disease and that pisses me off.  Also the damn never ending movie-like scenes where you only watch and can't do nothing.  

On a different style, why is Angry Birds so popular?  Its a challenge to make all the blocks fall and there is numerous ways to achieve it.  It has funny characters with funny noises and its for kids as well as adults, guys or gals.

Noted: I am looking for a way to skip the story in my project should the player desire to do so.

As for Angry Birds... I have no idea why it is so huge. Maybe because even people with no gaming skills can play it and feel like they are a good player?!

Just to show you how far the Angry Bird flu has spread...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXQ2hBdMt40

[XDelusion]

Sad thing about these "mobile" games is they could have existed (or did) 20 years ago on Amiga but now suddendly they are considered good games because you can play them on your phone.

As for skills since you mention it I consider myself an average skilled video games player but if I get killed right away 3 times in a row while trying a new game then its over, I won't go back to it ever.  There is a lot of games on the market so if I can't have fun right away, its rejected

 I'll be sure to ease players into the game play then in the first level or two, but by level three I'm going to turn up the heat...

...but with a little exploration, players will find items to help balance out the difficulty.

[XDelusion]

On a platform game the first thing that has to be right is the controls, the way the character moves in response to the joystick. Responsiveness plus the right amount of inertia to make it feel "solid" and it can be fun enough just to run and jump around.

And what are your thoughts on Platforming in First Person?

[XDelusion]

Quite simply, "no".

I apologize in advance then.