What would first person shooters be like if John Carmack hadn't
come along?
CliffyB: That's damned near impossible
to speculate on. I have a lot of respect for John and the
genre he helped spawn. As significant as DOOM was for myself
and the world, Ultima Underworld was just as key for me. I
played it before I played Doom and it was mind-blowing to
see such a rich world in 3d.
Levelord: That is a good question and
one that I'm not sure I can answer. I mean, when looking back
in history, it is easy to see that someone would have done
what Heisenburg or Marconi did, they just happened to be the
first. Would there be a 1st-person genre if John hadn't gotten
out of jail? ...hard to say.
What do you think the next important advance will be in first
person shooters?
CliffyB: Hybrids. The coolest upcoming games will
take elements from many previous "genre" games and seamlessly
blend them into a great experience.
Levelord: Probably the ever-increasing advance towards
realism. I hope to see real detailed focus on different types
of shooting, personally. I mean, really put someone back within
a certain timeframe in history and force them to play under
those circumstance (weapons, enemies, etc.), but that is silly
and no one really cares.
In single player games, is it important whether levels are linear
or non-linear?
CliffyB: Many people hardly have time to finish the
existing 30-60 hour titles out there, much less play through
them again. I've always felt that the best single player gaming
experiences are the ones where the designers make me feel
like I'm making all of these key decisions and driving the
plot myself and the game is completely dynamic when in reality
it's just well put together and mostly linear. I'm nudged
along to make my own decisions and continue through the game.
If I'm given total freedom I'll just get lost and wander aimlessly.
Besides, how do you craft any sort of comprehendable narrative
around this? It's damn near impossible.
Levelord: That truly depends on the theme and purpose
of the level. Sometimes a linear critcal path is needed, other
times, it is best to let the player roam and select from a
multiple-pathed progression.
