64 replies to this topic

[BMT]

Rather than the other thread I've started asking you all what your favourite RTS is and why, I've decided to be a little more broad with the approach to the FPS genre. Basically, what do you think makes a good FPS? Feel free to reference your favourite games and how they might have brought forward an element of the genre you might have overlooked with earlier titles.

For me, I'll simply put that the sheer satisfaction of downing an enemy with a well placed shotgun blast will never fade, whether it's blasting a combine soldier off a cliff face in HL2, denying someone from getting a knife kill with a split second buckshot reaction in CoD4 or unloading two full shells of concentrated badass into a Cacodemon, exposing its glorious innards for all to see. (alright maybe I get a bit too much satisfaction from the Cacodemon death)

[AndY]

Gordon Freeman makes a good FPS.

[dsi1]

Teamwork and feeling like you did something in-game instead of just sitting in an area for a bit and having a HUD element turn color.

Project Reality does a great job at this, setting up an ambush for Allied tanks, building an FOB and setting up defenses in a city center, searching for a Rebel hide out in the mountains, every time you succeeded at doing something like that you know you denied the other team a major asset, a large portion of the map, or the capability to strike anywhere, you didn't just sit in an area for a few seconds waiting for a flag to go up, you actually did something that effected the other team.

[Halsh]

I liked the customization in Planetside: you have specific inventory space depending on your armour; with armours offering other bonuses, such as cloaking for the armour that offered no protection, specialized weapons for armour that can only use that weapon against a specific type of enemy (infantry, vehicle or air) and can do with it as you like: do you go load up on the stuff to make buildings or mines and set up ambushes to delay the approaching heavy weapons? Do you carry that extra gun or use that space for another box of ammo? - It made inventory management into a tactical and strategic choice: if you forego the missile launcher in favor of another anti-personel weapon, you become highly ineffective against armour.

I think TF2 did a good job of not just instagibbing anyone (with exceptions) before they can react; for example look at MW2: you're generally dead before you know the guy shot you or ran up to you and knifed you or whatever else happened to make you dead. Offering a player the opportunity to react to and escape from situations through skill rather than "HAHA YOU DIDN'T SEE THIS GUY, YOU SUCK, RESPAWN" that we see now and again, there's the option of tactical withdrawl from fighting: whether this is to regroup with the medic who just got sniped or because you're getting low on ammo doesn't matter so much as the option exists.

If we're talking about what makes a game bad, I think GoW made a boo-boo by deciding "Hey, you know what this game needs? Chest high walls." - that is literally the only cover you will ever see, ever, in the entire game. Sure, the walls change texture, but it's still the same wall in a different dress hoping you don't notice its previous incarnations and smack your back into it like you want to smash it into rubble. Variety in cover, or even no cover, allows different area tactics to emerge: having every single area of the map just look different but operate pretty much the same isn't fun.

Good AI makes FPSers much more enjoyable: having them charge blindly to their death when you both know he has a grenade that could kill you or at least make you move into a less favorable situation is only fun for so long, but when you've got a body pile a mountain high sinking into the floor from them repeatedly charging down the same hallway in the same way without employing any of their given tools other than "CHHHAAARRGGGEEE!!" it gets old fast.

[Tucker]

If there's alot of player customization, I usually for some STUPID reason don't care about how much it sucks. I love being able to make my own characters.

[BMT]

Halsh, on 04 July 2010 - 08:47 PM, said:

I liked the customization in Planetside

Kudos for mentioning Planetside, one of my all time favourite online games.

And Tucker I'm sure that addiction to customization is why quite a few subpar MMORPG's retain popularity

[Halsh]

On the note of Planetside, I liked their points system for abilities. I don't feel the need to explain it as you sound like you liked it as much as I do (did?). It may not make sense directly ported in the way they did it, but something similar may work well; then again, I don't know what you have or what you're going for.

[Kil]

Nuff said.

[Kiory]

In agreement with AndY. No FPS would be complete without Gordan Freeman.

Personally I've always believed Half-Life 1 and 2 + Episodes have always had it right. The story is top notch and the run and gun gameplay is sound. I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason I keep playing them, while other FPS's just seem dull and boring, seriously, whats the deal with COD and the many other clones that people seem to play, it doesn't make sense.

I think in order to make a good FPS, it needs a very good storyline that engages the player, something that would want to make the player keep on going. I think also these days the problem is that people demand all the latest graphical gadgetry, an in some ways it's needed to compliment gameplay.

Anyway, we should all vote Gordan Freeman for president!

[Tucker]

Kilrageous, on 06 July 2010 - 02:54 AM, said:

Nuff said.

Graphics suck.
Fun game, though.

[braddollar]

Who cares about the graphics if the gameplay is amazing. I'd take Wolfenstein 3D graphics if a game has amazing gameplay. Never much got into RTCW, costing money and all and being a poor high school kid then, but always loved ET.

I've always loved Planetside. Usually play a month or two every year. Been itching to play another month lately because as of March I should have gotten my 6 year veteran reward . Free REXO certification ftw. Also could really go some BFR piloting action again.

[Firespray]

braddollar, on 06 July 2010 - 04:47 AM, said:

Who cares about the graphics if the gameplay is amazing. I'd take Wolfenstein 3D graphics if a game has amazing gameplay. Never much got into RTCW, costing money and all and being a poor high school kid then, but always loved ET.

I've always loved Planetside. Usually play a month or two every year. Been itching to play another month lately because as of March I should have gotten my 6 year veteran reward . Free REXO certification ftw. Also could really go some BFR piloting action again.

This, Wolfenstein was was amazing.

[AndY]

Kilrageous, on 06 July 2010 - 02:54 AM, said:

Nuff said.

Best. Flamethrower. Ever.

[Ranma]

A one-player mode. And for consoles, having a split-screen mode.


Sometimes I just get so SICK of dealing with kids in online FPS's. When I play CS:S I deliberately look for servers with Bots. They still suck, but at least they don't whine after they lose.

And I miss being able to sit in a living room in front of a big TV and shooting the hell out of my friends in split-screen. A bowl of pretzels on the coffee table; empty coke cans on the floor (when it wasn't my house) and a headshot, followed by the complaints of screen-watching. I guess developers figure console gamers have no friends so they make "online only" multiplayer gameplay.

[mr.bojangles]

Good customization, Good single player campaign, easy multiplayer access with the option of online (splitscreen), originality, and great multiplayer fun.

[elite879]

I like RPG games alot so I guess good customisation and shooting things while being able to level up to unlock for things to shoot other things in their things that are called heads mostly is good.

[Lord_of_Sausage]

Alot of content, and even more User created Content. TF2 got that right, with their weapons and hats and all that. I do think that the most important in an FPS is balance. Theres nothing as ruining as a rocketlauncher which insta-gibs in a 20 metres area, or when someone can abuse a weapon (like snipers in most games. They are a 1 shot 1 kill weapon, which is fine, but it can easily ruin a game when some one can zoom in for 100% accuracy, and headshot you within milliseconds). So, alot of maps / Weapons, Teamwork based (why would i want to play 5v5 when its much better to just run alone?) Optimized gfx (we are some who still game on a laptop!, well, sometimes!), Optimized Netcode (2k ms? No thank you). But most important, a good community that brings people together!

[Sir Quissibell of Nargeles]

Traps make a good fps game I mean you killed the boss, got the damn key, killed everything and then as you go through the door a damn spear flys out of the wall and kills you, making you wish you had paid attention to the trap trigger on the floor.

They add an extra somthing to any game.

[Twitwi]

If a it's a single-player; None violent challenges makes a good FPS, no shit, that's what HL2 did.
If b it's a multi-player; Being the BEST at the game makes a good game, To do this, make a good learning curve, (I'm talking: Link) so once you're good, you can beat the shit out of noobs, but there is always one person who's better than you (so you have something to compete with)

[Firespray]

Something that is relatively undone and has a appeal to it. Sort of like Chaos Theory in splinter cell.