What does the future hold for the FPS genre?

[platinumike]

Sometimes i will be playing through a highly acclaimed FPS, and tell myself this and that could've been done better, this would've made the scene more intense,etc. the following is a list of things i'd like to see in the FPS genre, feel free to add to the list.

1. More half-life 2 esque puzzles(and of course the physics). No more "off/on buttons" lets say you are sent to upload top secret information to a thumb drive. Instead of just finding the glowing switch and hitting 1 key. Maybe in the game, you actually access a real FTP that the developer sets up for the game.

2. More hand/arm movements. I cant believe we've been in the FPS genre so long and in some games we never see the playable character's arm or hand! only a gun! When i open a door i dont want to just press the e key and the door slings open.I would like to see the character holster his weapon and actually see the character's hand turn the knob and open the door. Maybe even control the speed that you open the door to shield yourself from the enemies in the room.

3. When the character takes a massive blow, i think it would be cool for the game's camera to pan down to the wound(his stoumach for instance) and see bullet holes through his shirt and a shredded bullet proof vest.

4. Weapon jams. Very rarely, you're weapon will jam. The game will automaticlly show the character banging the gun with his fist or against his leg, wall,etc. Although thats not a realistic way to correct the problem, it adds to the game.

 

[Harabec]

Originally posted by: platinumike
4. Weapon jams. Very rarely, you're weapon will jam. The game will automaticlly show the character banging the gun with his fist or against his leg, wall,etc. Although thats not a realistic way to correct the problem, it adds to the game.

Although not the same thing, Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries had Rotary Autocannons that jammed if you fired to too long. It took a couple of seconds for them to unjam (in MP thats generally "a moment too late").

Too bad it was specific to these RAC's. No other weapon in the game jammed or had any malfuntions.

 

[TheUnk]

Originally posted by: platinumike
4. Weapon jams. Very rarely, you're weapon will jam. The game will automaticlly show the character banging the gun with his fist or against his leg, wall,etc. Although thats not a realistic way to correct the problem, it adds to the game.

That's all we need. More stupid realism in video games. It's bad enough we already have bullets that don't fly straight.

What's next? Random sneezes when shooting, making you miss?

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: TheUnk

Originally posted by: platinumike
4. Weapon jams. Very rarely, you're weapon will jam. The game will automaticlly show the character banging the gun with his fist or against his leg, wall,etc. Although thats not a realistic way to correct the problem, it adds to the game.

That's all we need. More stupid realism in video games. It's bad enough we already have bullets that don't fly straight.

What's next? Random sneezes when shooting, making you miss?

WTF are you talking about? Lets not jump that many steps at once alright? Realism is not stupid but some of it would be very hard to utilize in a game. I think weapon jams could be used like overheating, or if you fire a semi-auto pistol or something too fast.

Sneezes? Where in god's name did THAT come from? If your idea of realism is sneezes than you don't deserve to play games.

 

[TheUnk]

Don't be a wank. The man said nothing about overheating weapons, or firing too fast. Just said "Very rarely, you're weapon will jam", making it sound like it would be a rare random occurance, which would be lame. Which brought me to my sneeze comment. Oh noes I got dust in my noes! >< Sneeze, misfire, foot blown off, 25% health lost. Good times.

And like overheating weapons could be something new for the future. BF1942 had this.

 

[PingSpike]

I pointed out in the other thread, realism != fun all the time. I remember last april fools valve released a list of fake updates to CS:S. Among them was weapon jamming, and the need to dismantle and clean your weapons at the end of every round.

 

[40Hands]

I want to see a combination between BF2 and CS:S with out the bugs of BF2.

 

[Elcs]

I like the idea of adding things to FPSes. Most these days imo are dull and boring without innovation turning into a cookie cutter industry or full of spontaneous bugs which affect large swathes of the community.

Jamming has been included in the Mechwarrior series as pointed out, also heat management issues have been covered in games. Mechwarrior had a good mixture of energy and ammunition consuming weapons and their uses needed to be balanced most of the time. RTCW included 1 gun, silenced smg I believe it was, that could overheat if used too much, too fast.

Realistic features which add to the difficulty of a game are usually met with a mixed reaction. If they could be turned on/off or increased/reduced with the difficulty level then I think they'd be more appreciated.

Towards #3.... to expand or move laterally, it would be cool to see a character use a medikit or don the special bulletproof vest.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: platinumike
Sometimes i will be playing through a highly acclaimed FPS, and tell myself this and that could've been done better, this would've made the scene more intense,etc. the following is a list of things i'd like to see in the FPS genre, feel free to add to the list.

1. More half-life 2 esque puzzles(and of course the physics). No more "off/on buttons" lets say you are sent to upload top secret information to a thumb drive. Instead of just finding the glowing switch and hitting 1 key. Maybe in the game, you actually access a real FTP that the developer sets up for the game.

2. More hand/arm movements. I cant believe we've been in the FPS genre so long and in some games we never see the playable character's arm or hand! only a gun! When i open a door i dont want to just press the e key and the door slings open.I would like to see the character holster his weapon and actually see the character's hand turn the knob and open the door. Maybe even control the speed that you open the door to shield yourself from the enemies in the room.

3. When the character takes a massive blow, i think it would be cool for the game's camera to pan down to the wound(his stoumach for instance) and see bullet holes through his shirt and a shredded bullet proof vest.

4. Weapon jams. Very rarely, you're weapon will jam. The game will automaticlly show the character banging the gun with his fist or against his leg, wall,etc. Although thats not a realistic way to correct the problem, it adds to the game.

1) This was done in Sin (if I recall correctly) where there were several computers around the game in various levels and you have to physically type commands to access certain docs.

2) Tresspaser, which actually was a bit ahead of its time but a bit porely made, pretty much had this. I got the game and was very interested in the "amazing" control system, but the novelty had worn off within a few hours and became cumbersome. Maybe someone can impliment it better? Also, All the Theif games have made it a point to have the body, feet, and hands very visible in the game. Another one is FEAR, although not quite like the others.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/trespasser

3) Kind of a cool idea. Doom 3, I think, is the only game that kinda came close to this where a WHACK! would turn the screen a bit red and the camera kind of pans to the left or right to mimic a slight turn of the head. But I wonder how annoying it would get in an action game to keep looking down at your chest and examining yourself.

4) There was a game that came out a few years ago that had weapon jams in it. I dont recall what it was, but it was a FPS. I think it was a console shooter called Red Faction? I know its been done, but don't recall the game.

I do respect your attempts and agree with the fact that we need more inovation in the fps genre.

HL3?

 

[lifeguard1999]

How about decent storylines.

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: warcrow

4) There was a game that came out a few years ago that had weapon jams in it. I dont recall what it was, but it was a FPS. I think it was a console shooter called Red Faction? I know its been done, but don't recall the game.

I do respect your attempts and agree with the fact that we need more inovation in the fps genre.

Red Faction 1 did not include jamming. Played through the PC version for the 3rd time a few months ago.

Red Faction 2 I never played, it may have been in that.

Both games were Console and PC.

They did use Geomod.... some terrain was destructable. VERY useful in CTF matches I must say but wasnt used too much in the single player game. (speaking about RF1)

 

[BurnItDwn]

Rocket Jumping .... WTF ever happened with that, in Quake and Quake 2, it was uber fun. More games need rocket jumping.
Also, The grappling hook from Quake CTF. More games need a grappling hook. It's way cooler then that silly translocater device that Unreal had.

So, in conclusion, I would like more grappling hooks and rocket jumping.

 

[mundane]

Topic Title: What does the future hold for the FPS genre?

Probably better graphics, minor improvements in AI, further incorporation of physics.

Edit: And to respond to the OP's post - too much realism can make a game damn annoying. A single bullet would have you down on the ground, crawling. "Running" would be reduced to a slow trot. No health kits whatsoever, unless you want to wait around for a few weeks while your player heals. Limited weapons loadout capacity. Get hit by bullets, risk your 'nades going off. And so on.

There have been times I've thought that more realism would be better, but when I try to flesh out the actual implementation, and the consequences, they don't work out. I play FPS games because they're fun, generally fast paced, good visuals, and once in a while have a nice story line.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: diegoalcatraz

Topic Title: What does the future hold for the FPS genre?

Probably better graphics, minor improvements in AI, further incorporation of physics.

Edit: And to respond to the OP's post - too much realism can make a game damn annoying. A single bullet would have you down on the ground, crawling. "Running" would be reduced to a slow trot. No health kits whatsoever, unless you want to wait around for a few weeks while your player heals. Limited weapons loadout capacity. Get hit by bullets, risk your 'nades going off. And so on.

There have been times I've thought that more realism would be better, but when I try to flesh out the actual implementation, and the consequences, they don't work out. I play FPS games because they're fun, generally fast paced, good visuals, and once in a while have a nice story line.

qft

 

[PingSpike]

I don't remember thief 1 or 2 having the ability see your characters body or legs. In fact, it was strikingly obvious they weren't because in that particular game you could look VERY far down to the point of almost or at 90 degrees.

Yeah, RTCW had weapon overheating in addition to the now common place reloading (remember back in the duke and quake days when your shotguns and pistols never needed to be reloaded?). Two weapons in multiplayer exhibited this feature, the sten, whose impressive accuracy and silenced nature was balanced by the fact the gun quickly overheated. And the venom, whose extreme rate of fire and deep clip was balanced by eventual overheating jams and slowed movement. RtCW really never got the mainstream credit it deserved IMO, while the single player game brought little to the table, the multiplayer was extremely well balanced and featured class based teamplay that really forced you to play as a team. You wanted health? Only a medic has it for you. You're out of ammo? Find your Lt, its the only place to find it. The solider packs the big guns, but without the support of his teammates he'll be dead or out of ammo. And the engineer is required to get the job done.

Sadly, the clean focus on teamplay was lost and gained in the free expansion...covert ops was pretty much a lone wolf class, the introduction of "ammo racks" weakened the concept of relying on your teammates and the XP system introduced the disparity between the players outside of skill...effectively rewarding players for being on the server longer and making it less assessable for new comers. Still, some of the new objectives required serious teamwork. Not to mention they some how managed to downgrade the graphics.

But that title pretty much slipped under the radar...with battlefield 2 pretty much totally ripping of the medics revive syringe.

 

[klah]

What does the future hold for the FPS genre?

Exploding barrels, linear gameplay and scripted events.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
I don't remember thief 1 or 2 having the ability see your characters body or legs. In fact, it was strikingly obvious they weren't because in that particular game you could look VERY far down to the point of almost or at 90 degrees.

Yeah, RTCW had weapon overheating in addition to the now common place reloading (remember back in the duke and quake days when your shotguns and pistols never needed to be reloaded?). Two weapons in multiplayer exhibited this feature, the sten, whose impressive accuracy and silenced nature was balanced by the fact the gun quickly overheated. And the venom, whose extreme rate of fire and deep clip was balanced by eventual overheating jams and slowed movement. RtCW really never got the mainstream credit it deserved IMO, while the single player game brought little to the table, the multiplayer was extremely well balanced and featured class based teamplay that really forced you to play as a team. You wanted health? Only a medic has it for you. You're out of ammo? Find your Lt, its the only place to find it. The solider packs the big guns, but without the support of his teammates he'll be dead or out of ammo. And the engineer is required to get the job done.

Sadly, the clean focus on teamplay was lost and gained in the free expansion...covert ops was pretty much a lone wolf class, the introduction of "ammo racks" weakened the concept of relying on your teammates and the XP system introduced the disparity between the players outside of skill...effectively rewarding players for being on the server longer and making it less assessable for new comers. Still, some of the new objectives required serious teamwork. Not to mention they some how managed to downgrade the graphics.

But that title pretty much slipped under the radar...with battlefield 2 pretty much totally ripping of the medics revive syringe.

Yea, not sure about Thief 1 or 2, but 3 definitly did.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: klah

What does the future hold for the FPS genre?

Exploding barrels, linear gameplay and scripted events.

Exploding barrels? Oh hell yes!

 

[HighCalibreHooch]

What does the future hold for the FPS genre?

Sequels.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

a game dedicated to more stunts. We see people do stupid stunts in BF2, UT series, Quake series, and even in CS:S. I want to see more stunts roflmao. It's just fun to rocket jump, and post a video on doing stuff that are reallly hard to do.

I like squad-based play in BF2 though.

Also, SWAT already has that opening the door slowly thing.


I'd like to see way more impromptu interactions with the NPC's in the games. More funny interractions like in HL2 and stuff. I wish maps/worlds are more dynamic. People can spend hours just messing around with a level by interacting with npc's, or randomly blowing stuff up.

 

[pontifex]

when the 1st games came out that were huge areas of play, like bf2, i was excited and thought of all the possibilities. after playing those games, i don't really like them. the maps are too big, many times in bf2 i don't get to see an enemy or i'm dead before i even see anyone (if i see my killer at all). i don't really care for the vehicles either because most of the time you aren't in one and end up getting killed all the time.

i prefer the games like Soldier of Fortune 2, where the maps weren't too big but big enough where you could have multiple paths through the map. the maps were well designed too.

SoF2 has to be the BEST fps game I have ever played. If Raven would update it or make SoF3 i would be there in a second.

one thing i would like to see is an end to hackers and cheaters in fps games. not sure how to do this, but it needs to be stopped.

 

[Jeff7]

Edit: And to respond to the OP's post - too much realism can make a game damn annoying. A single bullet would have you down on the ground, crawling. "Running" would be reduced to a slow trot. No health kits whatsoever, unless you want to wait around for a few weeks while your player heals. Limited weapons loadout capacity. Get hit by bullets, risk your 'nades going off. And so on.

Then physical therapy afterwards...or if you jump off a high ledge, instead of losing 50% health, both legs are broekn, and you get to just sit there and die, instead of using a healthpack from inventory.
Ah, inventory, there's another thing. Show me someone who is able to run at full speed while toting along 10 weapons, a huge supply of medkits, some grenades, and ammo for said weapons. More like, walking slowly, dragging a huge sack behind the character - then want to switch guns? Hang on, it'll take me awhile to find it in the huge sack'o'guns.

Personally, smarter AI charcters would be nice. It generally doesn't take me long to find a computer's weakness. Normal compensation for this is to simply make the enemy ludicrously overpowered, which.....well, it kind of feels like cheating. I mean, games have done that for a long time. Small, but quick-moving playable character versus predictable-moving, very powerful boss.

 

[platinumike]

I might have mispoken, Realism is one thing that alot of gamers enjoy, the point that iam trying to get across, is what can be done to make the fps games more immersive and interactive. THings like showing of the hands, panning of the camera, i think will make the game more immersive like you're there.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: platinumike
I might have mispoken, Realism is one thing that alot of gamers enjoy, the point that iam trying to get across, is what can be done to make the fps games more immersive and interactive. THings like showing of the hands, panning of the camera, i think will make the game more immersive like you're there.

call of duty is one of the few games that made me feel like i was actually there. playing through SP the 1st time was amazing. I hope i get the same feeling with CoD2 when it arrives, hopefully this week.

 

[VIAN]

Originally posted by: lifeguard1999
How about decent storylines.

YES. Totally agree with you there. We can't have something like Quake4 and SW:RC happen more often. We need deeper stories and definitely varied environments, which should result of deeper story.