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Old 12-07-2008, 02:29 PM   #12
TheTodd84
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Join Date: Oct 2008
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I think the concept of "realism" is mis-interpreted by gaming companies. As mentioned before, companies make the controls entirely too difficult in order to make it "realistic."

Here is what they are missing and here is what I think is essential to realism:

Animations and Physics. If gaming companies would get this right, their controls could be simple and user-friendly and realistic RESULTS would ensue.

What I mean by animations and physics is never seeing the same thing twice, like what NaturalMotion is trying to do with that backbreaker game. Regardless of how you feel about that game, they have the right IDEA.

Take NCAA Basketball 09 and NCAA Football 09. Both games are seriously flawed, not beacuse of their stats or their stadium representations. They are flawed because of canned animations (it's pathetic that these are still in 'next-gen' games), and questionable physics.

If the companies spent most of their time with animations and physics, then everything would essentially fall into place. Also, with realistic animations and physics, companies would not have to over-compensate for bad animations and physics with sliders and what not, things will take care of themselves.

The one other thing I think these companies are missing the boat on is that if they want to make games that allow users to smash 100 Home Runs in a season or rush for 3,000 yards in a season, or drill 45 threes in a game, why do they not implement two game modes? Maybe make the default game mode "arcade" and then allow the user to select a "simulation" mode as well, and then the user, in each mode, would have sliders to adjust the difficulty.

I think if companies focused more on animation and physics and creating SEVERE negative consequences for unrealistic play, they would run away with the market.

One more quick thing on this: I refuse to play NCAA Football 09 online anymore because I am so sick of facing West Virginia or any other super-spread team EVERY SINGLE TIME I play with Pat White running unrealistically aroudn the pocket and firing deadly-accurate bullets on the run, or breaking 17 tackles on his way to a touchdown. It's irritating and takes away from the gameplay. If some people can legitimately run a spread effectively and play realistically, then please, play as West Virginia and kick my @$$. Otherwise, play as Texas Tech and throw every down. That's what I'm talking about. If people want to run around the pocket all the time, they should be penalized by getting sacked constantly or by throwing extremely innacurate passes that are thrown to no one or intercepted.

Realistic Animations and Physics would take care of this problem and would strongly eliminate "cheesing." The issues do not just rest with football, but with every single sport.
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