Haruka
Junior Member
Posts: 69
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Post by Haruka on Oct 22, 2017 4:46:29 GMT -5
And how do you deal with it?
The other day I was playing an RPG and I suddenly wondered why the characters where able to carry huge amounts of money, food, and various pieces of weapons and armor without any trouble. Of course, this is such a widely accepted trope in gaming that it feels silly being bothered by this all of a sudden. However, at that moment it took me out of the game and it felt like the "magic" of the game had been lost a little bit. As a result, I ended up inventing a reason for why this was possible (the main character owns a magical bag which acts like a pocket dimension which can be used for storing large amounts of items). After that my immersion was restored.
There are countless other examples of things that could break one's suspension of disbelief. When you come across such a moment in a game, does it bother you? Or do you just think: "It's just a game" and continue playing?
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Post by Bumpyroad on Oct 22, 2017 5:03:49 GMT -5
I never did get the importance of cockpit view in racing games. You literally stare through 2 bloody screens--one is your monitor, and the next is car's windshield in-game. It just obstructs a view and it supposed to replicate the real thing. Really?
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Post by caoslayer on Oct 22, 2017 5:12:47 GMT -5
And how do you deal with it? The other day I was playing an RPG and I suddenly wondered why the characters where able to carry huge amounts of money, food, and various pieces of weapons and armor without any trouble. Of course, this is such a widely accepted trope in gaming that it feels silly being bothered by this all of a sudden. However, at that moment it took me out of the game and it felt like the "magic" of the game had been lost a little bit. As a result, I ended up inventing a reason for why this was possible (the main character owns a magical bag which acts like a pocket dimension which can be used for storing large amounts of items). After that my immersion was restored. There are countless other examples of things that could break one's suspension of disbelief. When you come across such a moment in a game, does it bother you? Or do you just think: "It's just a game" and continue playing? The weight thing is that in tropes they call "Aceptable break of reality". Because when they really try to take it into account the game gets worse. By example the weight system of Demon souls where not only took into account your equipment but your whole carried stuff and so, you had to go to the stockpile guy (thomas) before going into areas. That being said, I like when the handwave have explications like that the characters that are not in the party are behind carrying carts or mules handling the logistics. |
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Post by 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 on Oct 22, 2017 5:20:53 GMT -5
In the typical game, there are about a near-infinite things that only make sense in games, so I am honestly quite impressed this even happens to you.
Unless it's a stupid story-related thing, of course, but then, most video game stories aren't near the level where that kind of thing bothers me. And even then, that's similar to how immersion can break in a movie or a book, so that doesn't even have anything to do with the medium.
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Post by jackcaeylin on Oct 22, 2017 6:23:40 GMT -5
I am surprised that Haruka made the topic. Haruka is one of the 3 registered people that are regularly visiting the board, but rarely write/say something. I kinda feel honored to write a post in this thread.
I still don't know how the flying skull from Planescape Torment is wearing 20 items. I mean, he is literal a flying skull. I do not comprehend.
regarding the topic:
It kinda happens regularly, for example: If I play a game with a historical setting and the people speak very casually or with an "nowadays urban style" dictionary. I mean, nobody would say: "I go into calculation mode". I don't know who I should blame. The translators or the writers.
another questionable thing: Training in a game.
At first you suck, but then someone else is teaching you one technique or someone is training you to be a better warrior (like Trails in the Sky 2nd, the duration was 2 months). after the training, you are now able to deafeat generals with 10 years training experience and more. This is where I go "quack". Nioh is also very weird. He is reading books about Samurai in the first minute of the game, then he is able to deafet the strongest samurai of Japan.
Something else that is bothering me: It is totally okay to kill 100 characters, but if the character is your personal enemy or a distant aquaintance, then it is always wrong to kill. Honestly, the emotion and the mood of game characters are borderline psycho-crazy.
another point: food in games. I don't know how they can eat rats or other things without to cook/bake. I think, a game made fun about it and the character will vomit regularly. That was an interesting feature.
Yours sincerely
Jack Caeylin
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Oct 22, 2017 8:14:58 GMT -5
Achievements in non-arcade style games. Repeating tutorial messages. Unskippable cutscenes. Grinding. Meme references.
I just try to avoid those games. If it's older maybe I can fastforward that stuff in an emulator.
Edit: OP's example made me think of survival horror games and how they use stuff that I tend to dislike (very limited inventory, bad controls, cheap attacks, etc) and it's accepted because it's "more scary". I just find it annoying as hell for the most part.
In JRPGs or other static narrative games, it's always annoying when the party/char is frozen while bad guys do something in a scene, or combat stuff that doesn't align with the game mechanics happens.
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Post by JoeQ on Oct 22, 2017 8:28:33 GMT -5
Whenever the story and gameplay clash, RPGs especially are ofter pretty bad in this regard:
-Veteran characters starting at lvl 1 with crap equipment (Mass Effect 1 is a prime example).
-Death and injury being a big deal in games that allow easy resurrection and healing during gameplay.
-Pacifist characters whining about killing, then going on to murder enemies by their hundreds (extra points when this happens before they start whinig).
-Ultra powerful characters being captured or stopped by a few mooks.
-Boss battles where you immediately lose in a cutscene afterwards, but get a game over if you lose during the battle.
And a specific example from SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1: Your characters are trained soldiers capable of turning into powerful demons. Yet there's a point in the game where you have to take a lengthy detour to get some treasure, because your way is blocked by... a small garden table and a couple of chairs.
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Post by alphex on Oct 22, 2017 8:37:10 GMT -5
Achievements in non-arcade style games. Immersion killer #1 right here. |
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Post by JoeQ on Oct 22, 2017 8:48:45 GMT -5
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Post by Weasel on Oct 22, 2017 8:57:23 GMT -5
And a specific example from SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1: Your characters are trained soldiers capable of turning into powerful demons. Yet there's a point in the game where you have to take a lengthy detour to get some treasure, because your way is blocked by... a small garden table and a couple of chairs.  |
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Post by Owlman on Oct 22, 2017 9:22:08 GMT -5
Shakycams. If the world shakes like crazy when you run, go see a medical doctor. The part of your brain that compensates for a moving environment is possibly damaged and you could be in danger.
6'2'' bag-of-muscle heroes being able to carry only a handgun and a rifle and running out of breath after sprinting for five seconds.
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Oct 22, 2017 9:34:49 GMT -5
And a specific example from SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1: Your characters are trained soldiers capable of turning into powerful demons. Yet there's a point in the game where you have to take a lengthy detour to get some treasure, because your way is blocked by... a small garden table and a couple of chairs. Good post, but I believe this one is a joke similar to the big pen blockade in earthbound?  |
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Post by JoeQ on Oct 22, 2017 9:47:33 GMT -5
And a specific example from SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1: Your characters are trained soldiers capable of turning into powerful demons. Yet there's a point in the game where you have to take a lengthy detour to get some treasure, because your way is blocked by... a small garden table and a couple of chairs. Good post, but I believe this one is a joke similar to the big pen blockade in earthbound? Maybe, but it's being played completely serious in that dungeon and not commented on in any way IIRC. Anyway, being blocked by obstacles any normal human could easily navigate is pretty common in games, that was just one of the more ridiculous examples. Another from Dark Souls 2: Essentially the entire first half of the game boils down to finding a way to open a gate because your character can't climb the chest high pile of rubble blocking another. |
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Oct 22, 2017 10:24:02 GMT -5
Do agree that it's common.
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Post by jorpho on Oct 22, 2017 11:21:13 GMT -5
6'2'' bag-of-muscle heroes being able to carry only a handgun and a rifle and running out of breath after sprinting for five seconds. Not so unrealistic, maybe – some of those people train for strength (or even just appearance, really) and not for endurance. It explains why there's so much standing around at NFL games. Or if you like, maybe they're just severely dehydrated in preparation for the photo shoot. |
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