This is a topic I'm bring up now because of games like Armored Core 6 as well as a few other games I've played in the past few years where there is this unlaying trend limiting player choices when it comes to bosses and forcing them to play in a given way in an otherwise game about player's freedom of choice. And it is these lack of choices in how you need to deal with those bosses that ruin the fun for people like me because it forces us to use META builds when just to clear them. Even through there is nothing wrong with our normal builds or playstyles. And even though I had no problem in having gimmick bosses, dungeons, levels, or maps within games. I feel that there needs to be a clear reason and logic for the gimmick to exist and that gimmick itself shouldn't be so restrictive that forces players to only play in one or two ways only. Being tough but fair doesn't mean forcing players to make META builds just to clear the boss. But rather saying that almost any can work even if it is not the META choice nor the META tactic. In my view the best games are the ones where a sound build, tactics, and player skill always trumps over gimmicks and META.
I say this a person who both loves to make non-META builds. As some of you know I love making things like melee-snipers as you might remember how I would use my Nighthawk's sniper rifle as if it was a shotgun in the days of FireFall before the great nurfing and anti-sniper game design toke over. But also as person who loves to make hit kill builds in game when at all possible. Which is why I favor things like playing assassins, snipers, berserkers. As well as using tactics like throwing healing and reviving magic or potions on enemies tagged as undead because in a few games using healing items or magic on undead things deal true damage to them and kills them. Do to the logic of how healing really works in those worlds and how it is the undead's greatest weakness outside of holy magic. Given rise to one of my most funny yet effective builds in a game. An assassin with maxed out throwing stats (because throwing daggers and needles was it's mean weapons) who just run around dungeons and other areas with a lot of undead rapid firing healing potions left and right to kill all the monsters. I'm not saying that any way those builds are the best nor the most effective, but in a fair game they work just as well as any other even if they seem silly to other people.
Level design and boss design tells a lot about the people who make them. As it is impossible to create something without putting a little bit of yourself into the creation. And it is always clear when someone makes an hard but fair challenge or fight in game where players are free to win in anyway they like. Versus game where the devs want to force players to only play in the styles they want them to using the builds that only why want, even if they say things or have things in game that point counter to this. For example, why even have snipers and other long range weapons or classes a game if you are going to force the whole game to and all the boss fights to be close range with nowhere to hide? And that is where notice how best some devs unknowing send out mixed messages with their game design. And at worst they are only add in those things to give players the illusion of choice while actively doing things to sabotage any class or builds they personally have problems with.
I'm not saying that Em-8er is doing this nor that is will ever do this. But I do know of a few people have been burned one too many times when trying new games. So when the time comes for this game to come out. What are some key game design philosophies about Em-8er that I can point out to them? As different people focus on different things. Like skill based game play vs gear based game play or open freeform game play vs scripted and choreographed game play. You get my point. That way I'll know which my friends to call out to knowing they'll like game before hand.
I say this a person who both loves to make non-META builds. As some of you know I love making things like melee-snipers as you might remember how I would use my Nighthawk's sniper rifle as if it was a shotgun in the days of FireFall before the great nurfing and anti-sniper game design toke over. But also as person who loves to make hit kill builds in game when at all possible. Which is why I favor things like playing assassins, snipers, berserkers. As well as using tactics like throwing healing and reviving magic or potions on enemies tagged as undead because in a few games using healing items or magic on undead things deal true damage to them and kills them. Do to the logic of how healing really works in those worlds and how it is the undead's greatest weakness outside of holy magic. Given rise to one of my most funny yet effective builds in a game. An assassin with maxed out throwing stats (because throwing daggers and needles was it's mean weapons) who just run around dungeons and other areas with a lot of undead rapid firing healing potions left and right to kill all the monsters. I'm not saying that any way those builds are the best nor the most effective, but in a fair game they work just as well as any other even if they seem silly to other people.
Level design and boss design tells a lot about the people who make them. As it is impossible to create something without putting a little bit of yourself into the creation. And it is always clear when someone makes an hard but fair challenge or fight in game where players are free to win in anyway they like. Versus game where the devs want to force players to only play in the styles they want them to using the builds that only why want, even if they say things or have things in game that point counter to this. For example, why even have snipers and other long range weapons or classes a game if you are going to force the whole game to and all the boss fights to be close range with nowhere to hide? And that is where notice how best some devs unknowing send out mixed messages with their game design. And at worst they are only add in those things to give players the illusion of choice while actively doing things to sabotage any class or builds they personally have problems with.
I'm not saying that Em-8er is doing this nor that is will ever do this. But I do know of a few people have been burned one too many times when trying new games. So when the time comes for this game to come out. What are some key game design philosophies about Em-8er that I can point out to them? As different people focus on different things. Like skill based game play vs gear based game play or open freeform game play vs scripted and choreographed game play. You get my point. That way I'll know which my friends to call out to knowing they'll like game before hand.
Likes:
Sy, Dam13n and Pandagnome
