what would make a FPS better?

[GamingKnight]

Gamers...

Currently, I am halfway through a videogame design document that I am working on, and this document involves First Person Shooters. I have a few ideas and the sort of my own with the help of some of you who already gave me ideas (Thanks to Renzatic, T.Tashi, and Brendon Love, I'm just about finished) but I would love to hear from the rest of you.

Either an experienced first person shooter player or a beginner to the Genre, it all counts. Tell me your thoughts, what you like and do not like, what should be added or taken away, and anything else you might want to add to this discussion as well.

Thanks for reading, and hope you reply.

For Whom is the Game Made?
GamingKnight.
Knights of Empire Arcadia: A division of Empire Arcadia.
Hail to the Empire.

[Glockstar]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Gamers...

Currently, I am halfway through a videogame design document that I am working on, and this document involves First Person Shooters. I have a few ideas and the sort of my own with the help of some of you who already gave me ideas (Thanks to Renzatic, T.Tashi, and Brendon Love, I'm just about finished) but I would love to hear from the rest of you.

Either an experienced first person shooter player or a beginner to the Genre, it all counts. Tell me your thoughts, what you like and do not like, what should be added or taken away, and anything else you might want to add to this discussion as well.

Thanks for reading, and hope you reply.
</div>

Well I can tell you one thing I hate about FPSs...
and that's too many freaking weapons to cycle thru! Especially in your more "realistic" FPSs. I mean, c'mon! How realistic is it that a guy can run, and jump, and dodge, and hide - like it ain't no thing - all the while he's carrying/holding two pistols, two machine guns, a shotgun, a flamethrower, a rocketlauncher, 6 grenades, and a "handy" little bowie knife?!? Just the idea of it is effin stupid!

But the worst part is fiddling thru all of that crap to find the right weapon! Knock off the bullpuck, and just keep it to 2 or 3 weapons at a time! (That's one (of the many) thing(s) that I love about Halo. 'Cept, I thought the MasterChief should have always had his pistol on him. I mean, it pistol is not something that you have to carry it, right? Doesn't he have a holster for the thing?!?)

Go ahead and put 1000+ weapons in the game, if you want to... as that's not what bothers me. And actually, it sounds a cool/neat thing. Just don't make it so that you have to pick up and carry every single weapon that you come across. Especailly when the bad guys are in abundance - as they usually are in these kinds of games - and almost every single one of them carries a weapon. Weapons that you can lift off of them after they're dead! If you want too. Right? ;)

Also, this kind of adds a bit of strategy to the gameplay too - if you think about it.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

I'll let you use my idea...

use webcams for LAN parties and make the heads of the characters in the game monitors with your opponents ugly mug displayed. Couldn't be done over the Internet right now due to bandwidth limitations but it would be a riot for a LAN party.

[Static_Fred]

Include an option for "utlra gore mode". What i mean by this is, other games try to make their games really disgusting and graphic (such as Postal and Soldier of Fortune), but they have it all wrong!

When i blast off someone's arm, i was to see a fountain of blood spewing out all over the place! Even better, make sure you code it to where the blood will stain the walls and floors, maybe even ceilings.

Oh man, Kill Bill (movie) has corrupted my mind...

[joquito]

ALL new games not just FPS should give you the option to choose horizontal or vertical split-screen when playing co-op/ head to head. As HDTVs become more prevalent, more people will start to complain about this issue.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Include an option for "utlra gore mode". What i mean by this is, other games try to make their games really disgusting and graphic (such as Postal and Soldier of Fortune), but they have it all wrong!

When i blast off someone's arm, i was to see a fountain of blood spewing out all over the place! Even better, make sure you code it to where the blood will stain the walls and floors, maybe even ceilings.

Oh man, Kill Bill (movie) has corrupted my mind...</div>


Hehe! I can't WAIT for Vol 2! It's gonna be so much better than Vol 1...I can't wait to watch 'em both together in the comfort of my own home one day.

[meagher72]

The next step for FPS is obvious (although I am not IN THE KNOW about theses things, so i could be talking out my hole atm)

FPS need to be played with light-guns as in the Time Crisis series.....

However... the game progression should not be locked... scences should not just roll at you without player control of navigating within the game....

I do not know if this is possible but if a game like Front Line: Medal of Honor or Red Faction could be made compatible with a light-gun without losing any of the 360 degree player control that makes these games so fun, it would rule.

Your weapon on screen should be in complete alignment with the light-gun of the player... lower your light-gun and the char in the game also lowers his or hers etc.....

Like I said I do not know if that is possible, but if it is and it can be done without losing the ascpects that make FPS so fun it will be the next quantum leap for FPS imho.

Also.... two player CO/OP games need more attention.... NOT just online versions.

Games wherein two players are able to play the game against the computer or through the levels at the same time, together needs to be invested in I think......

I know most males and especially young males want to play AGAINST each other but not all of us are teenagers or even males.....

As I get older I find myself wanting to play more as a team or sharing the conquest of a game with sombody...

Ruleing somone in a game gets old and the ego boost is temporary....

You can only dominate another person for so long in a game and that other person will quickly lose intrest and quit playing..... Where is the victory in that? Yeah you might have won and shown your MAD skills, but now you just gotta sit and play all by yourself like some forgotten maze-keeper that has run out of rats to experiment on.

I bet it wil be found as the video game generation gets older many more male/female pairs will and are playing together and that may just be a viable market in and of itself.....

Not all of us want to blast the snot out of one another.... some of was want to play together and not against each other.

That's what was so great about Tekken Tag... it was the first game I played where players could play as a team.

Anyways... just some ramblings for you to sample. :)

[E.T.]

In simple terms, as an aging gamer, run 'n gun, basic puzzle solving in this genre gets old.
What would make a FPS better for me is an immersive story line.
A plot that would provide the "glue" to hold all the FPS action together.

E.T.

["The Game"Evolution]

<div class=\"smallfont\">Gamers...

Currently, I am halfway through a videogame design document that I am working on, and this document involves First Person Shooters. I have a few ideas and the sort of my own with the help of some of you who already gave me ideas (Thanks to Renzatic, T.Tashi, and Brendon Love, I'm just about finished) but I would love to hear from the rest of you.

Either an experienced first person shooter player or a beginner to the Genre, it all counts. Tell me your thoughts, what you like and do not like, what should be added or taken away, and anything else you might want to add to this discussion as well.

Thanks for reading, and hope you reply.

For Whom is the Game Made?
GamingKnight.
Knights of Empire Arcadia: A division of Empire Arcadia.
Hail to the Empire.</div>


A great first person shooter indeed first and foremost the gamer should have is great movement:Run,jump,duck,dodge,climb,drive vehicles,use throwing weapons, and use hand to hand combat.

Second.Tons of things to shoot.Just like in real life.If you have a gun anything or anyone one thats around you can be shot.That goes for Cars,people,Buildings,animals;etc.Interactive backgrounds always makes a game experience that much more enjoyable.

Third.Precison.Run and Gun is cool with games like DOOM,Duke Nukem,and Halo.But I think that alot more FPS's needs to really test the marksman skills of a player.I recall alot of games were complaining about how in Splinter Cell they would at times miss their targets even if they were up close to someone.I never had the problem.Because I made sure that I lined up my target perfect before I took a shot.

Precision shooting indeed should play a more crucial part in FPS's.

Next raise the bar on Replay value.Multiple endings indeed are cool.Most of the time replay value is based off of how much you can unlock while you play each time.Thats all good.I say that alot more games should have multiple paths that leads to multiple endings.This little tidbit would definately make FPS's even more interesting.Who to shoot and who not to shoot,that would be the question.

Blood and Gore.For me its like this:If you are making a FPS of any kind spare no expense on the violence.Soldier Of Fortune may have been not so popular with console owners.But I have to say this game was so damn violent at times I couldnt help but laugh and scream at how many different ways you could make someone lose a limb.

Blood and gore should always go hand and hand with any FPS.I mean you are shooting someone correct? That means bullets or lasers makes holes when it hits a body.That means that whatever gets hit will bleed as well as get disfigured.Why sugar coat such a thing?

The point system that was used for those games should be included in other games.If you shoot at someones head with a Shotgun then afterwards there shouldnt be a head on the man's shoulders.You get what I'm saying.How can anyone play a game like SOCOM and truly not get to see people really lose alot of Kool-Aid? It is a war right? You're supposed to pull no punches with games like that.

Variety of weapons.Indeed every FPS should always have the option to take the enemies weapons and use it against them.Besides in the long run it'll help you out.To have access to the weapons of others.Halo is the only game FPS that I've played that truly does this.I would like to see more games include this.

Better co-op modes.Every FPS should have co-op modes and killer multiplayer modes.No ifs,ands,or buts about it.

Last but not least:Upgrades.Every FPS should have weapon upgrades.Every weapon should be able to be upgraded into something even more powerful or more deadly.Like the addition of laser scopes,silencers,sniper rifles uses with a remote control device.Or my personal favorite.Guns that has multiple functions.(like in Perfect Dark & Splinter Cell)

Those are some of the things I would like to include in FPS's of the future.

[meagher72]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>
Next raise the bar on Replay value.Multiple endings indeed are cool.Most of the time replay value is based off of how much you can unlock while you play each time.Thats all good.<i><b>I say that alot more games should have multiple paths that leads to multiple endings.</b></i>This little tidbit would definately make FPS's even more interesting.Who to shoot and who not to shoot,that would be the question.
</div>

OOOOOOOOOOO........ now that would be COOL.

[Robert-The-Rambler]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>

OOOOOOOOOOO........ now that would be COOL.</div>

I'm a real believer that how YOU influence the storyline matters most.

[Fragmastar]

<div class=\"smallfont\">In simple terms, as an aging gamer, run 'n gun, basic puzzle solving in this genre gets old.
What would make a FPS better for me is an immersive story line.
A plot that would provide the "glue" to hold all the FPS action together.

E.T.</div>

The only FPS games that ever had outstanding, immersive story lines were Doom 3 and RTCW. I'm serious! I bet you people are asking "what about Half-life!?! What about Halo!?!"

lol! Those storylines were crap! Yes, we do need more FPS games with immersive story lines.

[Gadfly2317]

<div class=\"smallfont\">The next step for FPS is obvious (although I am not IN THE KNOW about theses things, so i could be talking out my hole atm)

FPS need to be played with light-guns as in the Time Crisis series.....

However... the game progression should not be locked... scences should not just roll at you without player control of navigating within the game....

</div>


I like the core of your idea a lot, using a light gun. But navigation and other options, like crouching and jumping are still necessary. I don't want LESS interactivity by having some of the navigation automated. You could have a couple thumb buttons on the gun, or even an analog stuck where the hammer would be, and a second single hand controller for other functions. The light gun could be used to direct the view/perspective, and then you could press a button on the gun to lock the screen so that your gun movement then became solely for aiming. There are a lot of possibilities.

Other new ideas--well, these wouldn't specifically help Knight since these things are being done--but in the FPS Geist that is under development currently, you are a spirit and possess different bodies, which I assume will not only give you different abilities and strenghts, but also affects puzzle solving as you can become disembodied to fit through cracts, ventilation ducts, etc. Probably also could yield a very interesting story and atmostphere, this whole supernatural aspect to the FPS.

So while that's something being done, you could definitely innovate and incorporate other things in. A good solid atmospheric literary story worked into a FPS that wasn't so much just run and bang would be cool. How about an old Clinton Eastwood style revenge western like Hang 'em high? I guess we're back to Kill Bill here, which was influenced by (among other things) the old Spaghetti Western revenge flick. I'd love see someone pull off some good FP Horse riding/w shooting at the same time (well, I guess there was a bit of horse riding/arrow shooting in Zelda, but with today's tech, you could do so much more with it.)

A good FPS with style, story, and some custom hardware to really make the experience more immersive, sounds good to me.

[Duffy]

As far as the single player game:

The maps need to be non linear or at least far less linear.

Environments need to be heavily interactive.

Non scripited events need to be way more common. Dynamic game design is what is needed to bring the genre out of the land of Quake and Doom.

AI needs to be greatly improved across the board.


Yep, all that would be a good start!

[meagher72]

<div class=\"smallfont\"><div class=\"smallfont\"></div>
A good FPS with style, story, and some custom hardware to really make the experience more immersive, sounds good to me.</div>

I just hope it is technologically possible soon and finically viable.

Also, I want to say <b>DITTO</b> to almost everything everyone else has said in this thread.

Seems like we all share some of the same ideas.

It feels good to be in such company! :cool: