Higher Game
01-08-2006, 05:04 AM
From playing various twitch based games online with players of similar ping, I'm about ready to say that reflex is borderline universal for humans. Twitching in .5 seconds instead of .6 means lots of wins in, say, Counterstrike and other hitscan weapon games, but it doesn't matter as much in Quake 3 arena, where many of the best weapons aren't hitscan.
Instead, the key element that separates the l33t g33kz from the average player is strategy. This, ultimately, is why games are regarded as a waste of time. Most strategy is created when one becomes accustomed to a certain map, position, etc. This is learned by playing a lot, memorizing rote techniques, and so on. It becomes an instinct (lizard brain) instead of abstract though (human), and this ultimately turns off twitch games to the high-brow crowd.
The best games combine the use of memorized strategies with natural abilities. Chess is the best example. The opening lasts a minute or two, and the rest of the game lasts for hours! First the generic strategy comes, then the really good part.
For many games, this just doesn't work out. Once the strategies are worked out, the winner is the guy who reacts 5% faster, which results in 50% more frags. This isn't pushing human abilities and accomplishments. It's just lame, to put it simply. 5% faster reaction time in reality just doesn't amount to much at all, even to marines. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
The best games reward players with an "x factor" that one can't really point at exactly, but grasp about. I'm talking about the metagame. Someone might not have the fastest twitch or the most strategies memorized, but something he has gives him an edge over the opponent. Maybe it's a tendency to retreat when he's down to 5 health instead of accepting a frag and moving on (or foolishly hoping for a streak of luck). Maybe it's timing a rocket perfectly, knowing exactly when the opponent will foolishly run after that power-up. It's just a combination of these holistic elements that make up an elite gamer.
Interestingly, the reptilian twitch games are very popular, and very few games dare to reward the intuitive player. I believe DNF should move away from the twitch style and instead be unique. DN3d had many unusual weapons, a jetpack, and all kinds of cool things that a clever player could exploit. I hope this tradition, if that's the appropriate word, will continue with the Duke.
Has anyone here felt jaded about the state of multiplayer FPS gaming? I really had a lot of hope for Battlefield 2, but it's mostly full of n00bs who can't understand teamwork and instead regress to the tired old twitch. The overpowered helicopters doesn't help much either. I don't think this problem will be fixed because too many people seem to enjoy the reflex instead of the metagame. If the game were truly balanced, it was force people to truly THINK. It's just not going to happen...
Instead, the key element that separates the l33t g33kz from the average player is strategy. This, ultimately, is why games are regarded as a waste of time. Most strategy is created when one becomes accustomed to a certain map, position, etc. This is learned by playing a lot, memorizing rote techniques, and so on. It becomes an instinct (lizard brain) instead of abstract though (human), and this ultimately turns off twitch games to the high-brow crowd.
The best games combine the use of memorized strategies with natural abilities. Chess is the best example. The opening lasts a minute or two, and the rest of the game lasts for hours! First the generic strategy comes, then the really good part.
For many games, this just doesn't work out. Once the strategies are worked out, the winner is the guy who reacts 5% faster, which results in 50% more frags. This isn't pushing human abilities and accomplishments. It's just lame, to put it simply. 5% faster reaction time in reality just doesn't amount to much at all, even to marines. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
The best games reward players with an "x factor" that one can't really point at exactly, but grasp about. I'm talking about the metagame. Someone might not have the fastest twitch or the most strategies memorized, but something he has gives him an edge over the opponent. Maybe it's a tendency to retreat when he's down to 5 health instead of accepting a frag and moving on (or foolishly hoping for a streak of luck). Maybe it's timing a rocket perfectly, knowing exactly when the opponent will foolishly run after that power-up. It's just a combination of these holistic elements that make up an elite gamer.
Interestingly, the reptilian twitch games are very popular, and very few games dare to reward the intuitive player. I believe DNF should move away from the twitch style and instead be unique. DN3d had many unusual weapons, a jetpack, and all kinds of cool things that a clever player could exploit. I hope this tradition, if that's the appropriate word, will continue with the Duke.
Has anyone here felt jaded about the state of multiplayer FPS gaming? I really had a lot of hope for Battlefield 2, but it's mostly full of n00bs who can't understand teamwork and instead regress to the tired old twitch. The overpowered helicopters doesn't help much either. I don't think this problem will be fixed because too many people seem to enjoy the reflex instead of the metagame. If the game were truly balanced, it was force people to truly THINK. It's just not going to happen...