depends linear is good but it can be bad as well. if it feels linear then i think my life is being wasted look at half life totally linear game. but it doesnt feel linear its all about the player feeling they have choices.
Depends. The REAL linear, or the "game" linear? Like Hivey said, linear means line, so you can't exactly be "less liney." However, a game can be more or less linear.
It depends where you want to take it with a game. If you decide you want it to be completely linear make sure you put enough effort into it to make it still fun like HL. A game can be too linear when it takes 6 hours to beat and you knew exactly how it was going to end around hour 4.
If you decide to make a game less linear such as multiple endings like in Dues Ex you have to be careful to avoid plot holes and loose ends. If you try to give the player too many choices that all adversely affect the game it will get sloppy and confusing.
You may also want to make the game less linear by making side jobs/quests like in many RPGs where the player can go off and do something unrelated to the general progress of the game that will bear enjoyment or rewards of some sort.
Then there is always the completely non-linear games MMORPGs where there is no plot and the only progress is attained by gaining experience through interactions with the environment which is usually completely unbinding.
So in terms of what is more or less logical it comes down to marketing, who are you trying to sell your game to?
<!--QuoteBegin--dr.d+May 10 2003, 08:50 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (dr.d @ May 10 2003, 08:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If you decide to make a game less linear such as multiple endings like in Dues Ex you have to be careful to avoid plot holes and loose ends. If you try to give the player too many choices that all adversely affect the game it will get sloppy and confusing.
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Deus Ex was "less linear" because there were multiple ways of getting through the levels.
The endings were simply decided by what you did in the last 5 minutes of the game. I would count that as more of a novelty "what if ?" exercise rather then true non-lineraty.
Also, is non-lineraty even a word ? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
ThansalThe New ScumJoin Date: 2002-08-22Member: 1215Members, Constellation
umm, I THINK the point of this thread is if 'less linear' is ok. not about games <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
and here is how to find out: OED.com (don't bother going, my college provideds it for us <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->)
nope that didn't owrk
I personaly would say that it is an ok term
Think of this:
2 games made of parts A B and C
game 1 A= linear, B = linear, C= nonlinear game 2 A= nonlinear, B= Nonlinear, c= nonlinear
thus game 2 have less linearity to it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Diablo was far better than Diablo2, It had randomly generated dungeons and it was a new challenge each time. Diablo also has more replay value than Diablo 2 did on the single player.
Morrowind is the best open-ended game out there, But its only downfall is only one ending.
Comments
thus the idea is logical
If you decide to make a game less linear such as multiple endings like in Dues Ex you have to be careful to avoid plot holes and loose ends. If you try to give the player too many choices that all adversely affect the game it will get sloppy and confusing.
You may also want to make the game less linear by making side jobs/quests like in many RPGs where the player can go off and do something unrelated to the general progress of the game that will bear enjoyment or rewards of some sort.
Then there is always the completely non-linear games MMORPGs where there is no plot and the only progress is attained by gaining experience through interactions with the environment which is usually completely unbinding.
So in terms of what is more or less logical it comes down to marketing, who are you trying to sell your game to?
<!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Deus Ex was "less linear" because there were multiple ways of getting through the levels.
The endings were simply decided by what you did in the last 5 minutes of the game. I would count that as more of a novelty "what if ?" exercise rather then true non-lineraty.
Also, is non-lineraty even a word ? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
and here is how to find out: OED.com (don't bother going, my college provideds it for us <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->)
nope that didn't owrk
I personaly would say that it is an ok term
Think of this:
2 games made of parts A B and C
game 1 A= linear, B = linear, C= nonlinear
game 2 A= nonlinear, B= Nonlinear, c= nonlinear
thus game 2 have less linearity to it <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Diablo was far better than Diablo2, It had randomly generated dungeons and it was a new challenge each time. Diablo also has more replay value than Diablo 2 did on the single player.
Morrowind is the best open-ended game out there, But its only downfall is only one ending.
many people ask this question.... <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->