What settings you'd like to see in your games

I want a real free-world sandbox game. Such a thing would take about a decade to develop I guess but seriously, come release date, it'd be worth it I think. Something like a game where you can literally do ANYTHING. I want a game where I can go do all the things I can't so in real life, like pulling the fire alarm at the supermarket (yes, I'm a nerd, I know, lol).

I want a dynamic world where you can never predict what exactly will happen. A world with dynamic characters and events that happen based on their actual interactions according to their personality algorithms (not scripted events). I want to be able to hijack a plane, fly to Florida, and steal a space shuttle and fly to Mars.

Like I say, such a game would take years upon years to code, and probably it would take technology itself even longer to advance personal computers to the point that they'd be able to play such a thing, but I still say it would definitely be worth it in the end.

-DOS forever

 

Hmm, the idea of such a game as you describe had occurred to me too, although I can't say it would have been a game I'd want to play, just interested if it would be possible to code such a game and get it to run on modern hardware. Such a game would, of course, require complete interactivity, exceptionally detailed environments and lots of cause-effect dependencies for every action or event that happens in the game world. TBH, I've no idea if this is doable on contemporary hardware, but it sure would require tons of effort on the designers/programmers' part to think all the dependencies and events through and make them work as a whole, as a complete world.

That said, I think it would be nice to see more originality in fictional settings that are used in the games, be it fantasy, science fiction or something completely different. Virgil's spot on in that games today seem to recycle the same old clichés (or even good original ideas from the past) over and over again. OTOH, too much originality can make the game unappealing to many people because of the difference in tastes. Sometimes I think that clever game mechanics and balanced gameplay has become much more important than any kind of storyline for me now; I'm okay with any kind of excuse plot as long as the game itself is fun (e.g. Serious Sam). At any rate, I'm really not sure if a game - any game - should go very deep into exploring philosophical ideas (or whatever ideas for that matter), especially if this is done at the expense of the playing experience.

 

Cyberpunk is my favorite. Somehow this setting is widely overlooked, even though you can create a variety of worlds based on a simple conception of human-connected-to-computer.

 

We should get Battlecruiser on this site! http://www.3000ad.com/downloads/bc3k.shtml

EDIT: Get it from here, cause none of those links work properly (fail): http://www.fileplanet.com/62798/60000/fileinfo/Battlecruiser-3000AD-v.-2.09

-DOS forever

 

It just tell me my operating system is not adequate to run it... WTF? Can someone else try it and see if it will work and, if so, tell me how you got it to run?

-DOS forever

 

I don't think, that sandbox or "dynamic world" is settings. Settings is a rules of fictional world which become environment for gamer's adventures. It may be fantasy, cyberpunk, steampunk, science fiction etc. Not gameplay. Which setting do you prefer?
For example, I like different settings, all depend on quality game's plot. But I prefer cyberpunk and rare setting (Planescape: Torment).

P.S. If you don't understand something from my message, you can ask me about it: I don't know English well. That is why I can write misunderstanding.

 

I like lots of types of settings, in that respect. To me, setting is less important than game content.

-DOS forever

 

That is true.

 

Come to think of it, it's easier for me to name settings that I don't like, rather than the ones I do. Generally, I'm completely disinterested in the Wild West, WWII and Vientam settings, while those are definitely quite popular among gamers these days. It's not that they really put me off, just I'm not excited about them at all. Similarly, I can't get interested in a pirate-themed game, or a game about the Mafia. Those seem kind of boring to me.

Ancient and/or medieval settings, on the other hand, that's a completely different story

 

I agree, that does sound interesting. Unfortunately, it's all like they laid out in the Scratchware manifesto. Modern companies only give the green light to game projects which use the same old rubbish themes that they know from experience will sell. It's all about money, not quality of the product.

-DOS forever

 

Well that's why I play old games

 

Heidevolk- Walhalla Wacht - YouTube

That song always fits. I really don't know why, cause the more time goes by, the less sense it makes even to me, but... golly it's a good song!

-DOS forever