Exploration of the game world.

[davesande]

Hi to you all,

At the moment I'm writing my BA thesis on exploration in computer games. I myself am a keen explorer of game space without actually playing the game you are supposed to play. I wondered if there are more people like me.

I came across a post of someone taking a stroll in GTA III:

 

 

So, I was playing III the other day and I decided to take a stroll. You know the countryside that wraps north of Staunton and Portland? Well, I walked up there and it's a pretty sweet view. I climbed up the hillside next to the unfinished tunnel closest to the dam, over the tunnel and down the whole length of that ridge. You can only go so far north before a wall gets in your way, and an invisible barrier stops you from going north of Portland. Still, you can get a great view of the whole city. It's a taste of what's to come in LCS.

 

Do any of you do that also, just explore the game world without really playing the game? Or do you know anyone who does?

And if so, why do you (he or she) do it? Is it like you walk or drive in another place like you were on vacation?

Or is it more like an interactive photo album you enjoy? Or maybe you have other reasons.

Looking forward to your answers!

Kind Regards,

Dave

BA student New Media, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

[MrLorenzo]

Yeah, I'll do that quite often. I spent maybe 3 or 4 hours playing the storyline in Vice City. Got my hands on a trainer, spent no less than 50 playing around.

 

I guess we're on different paths, though. My perfect game is an intricate sandbox (see: The Room, a side project of Lionhead's). Just something where you are given a nice environment, a bunch of tools, and the freedom to do whatever you want. I know that getting a decent replication of that is a little ways off, but it's what I look forward to the most in new games. Seeing how far they can push the coders into making an engine as realistic as possible (the new FarCry engine looks pretty f*cking snazzy.)

[Venom]

I do it all time, I usually explore everything to find secrets, extra ammo, health, whatever. I just do that.

 

But some games you can't, like the demo I played of Constantine.. (sp) There was a path you HAD to follow, it was annoying.

[guv]

Quite often the missions in free roaming city-based games are so infuriating that the free roam/explore elements are the best things about them. Generally, I play the GTAs' missions in order to open up new areas and new equipment (etc) to use outside the story sections.

 

I'm currently looking forward to exploring New York City in 'True Crime: NYC'. The trailers at ING are making it look superb.

 

 

[davesande]

 

Generally, I play the GTAs' missions in order to open up new areas and new equipment (etc) to use outside the story sections.

 

That's what I dislike so much in Myst.

You have to finish the puzzles in order to go on exploring.

 

 

I'm currently looking forward to exploring New York City in 'True Crime: NYC'

 

Do you know NY yourself? Or are you going to be a tourist?

I once played a car game that was positioned on the main highway in the Netherlands -A2 Racer-, and it was so cool to actually drive along this road that I drove in real life so often!

[Hurricane5]

It's one of the main reasons to play a game isn't it?

 

Well, basically I just do it to explore, get to know every square inch of explorable area, and also, find any relics left over from development.

 

So basically just to expand your knowledge of your surroundings, and what you could possibly do with them, as far as knowing secrets, easter eggs, relics, modification, ect.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

It's one of the main reasons to play a game isn't it?

I play most FPS games for what they are, shooters. I shoot people and the only real exploration involved with the environment, is checking out where I can place my machine gun next (I love you CoD).

 

But with other games (not just GTA), I really enjoy walking/driving around and just seeing where I'll end up.

 

One of the downsides to exploration is that you might find faults in certain maps and abuse them. For example, finding a spot in an FPS where you can walk under the map and shoot upwards, whilst people can't see you or shoot you.

[davesande]

 

It's one of the main reasons to play a game isn't it?

Well, some would argue that one could play a game mainly to be part of a story, or to get aroused by the excitement of the game play.

To roam and explore just to view the surroundings and enjoy how they are constructed (just as you can enjoy a building, a nice day in the woods, or whatever) is much less like playing than achieving a set goal is. Achieving this, by the gamedeveloper set, goal is what you could call "the real game". Exploration without a goal is in my view something else. Not really a ''game''.

More something like Virtual Reality.

[Vanzant]

I never got my hands on a guidebook to Final Fantasy seven so I remember spending hours upon hours walking the entire map just looking around for things, just exploring everything until there was nothing else.

[Smashdamit]

Anytime we are given a world such as that in San Andreas,you bet folks are gonna have walkabouts exploring.

 

I think I have been over every square inch of the desert.....

 

Good makers know folks do this and hide goodies for us to find.Great fun.

 

Can't remember the thread or the group's name but after about a month or so after release of SA on PS2,a group formed that would assign members areas to search/explore and report their findings..or lack there of

[vALKYR]

Not only in games like the Grand Theft Auto Series but also in games like Far Cry, Half-Life 2 and so on I always take my time to explore the game world and environment, test possibilities and most likely get to know the game better. Especially in a GTA Game it's a good thing to explore the city once you can do this. It always turns out to be a great plus when you have to drive in a mission or find this or that as quickly as possible. When you have already explored the whole world this can be an amazing help but most of the time, exploring the city without actually playing any mission or something the like is a nice thing to get to know a game better.

[ganja_man_biatch]

i like exploring the landscape of mgs3, what can i say it was extremly well done for a ps2 game, jus watching the fish in the river than using your combat knife, great stuff. i also did a whole bunch of exploring when vc and sa came out. but the one that's my fav is the hitman seies. there's always a new way to complete the mission, so your constantly trying to find out if you missed anything.

[guv]

Do you know NY yourself? Or are you going to be a tourist?

I once played a car game that was positioned on the main highway in the Netherlands -A2 Racer-, and it was so cool to actually drive along this road that I drove in real life so often!

No, I'm not from NYC and I don't know it particularly well, so "being a tourist" is going to be a major part of the game for me. By the looks of it, we can forget the blandness of the LA represented in the first True Crime. New York in TC:NYC looks amazing. Tons of detail, and a great gritty look, incorporating rain, steaming vents, tons of traffic, interesting peds, and lush interiors. Roll on next month!

 

And I meant IGN in my previous post, not ING. Typo.

 

 

[davesande]

Thanx for all your reactions,

I guess there are mainly three reasons for exploring:

 

1. Exploring, just to enjoy the surroundings.

2. Exploring to know the gameworld better, so you are better prepared for the missions.

3. Exploring to have seen the entire gameworld.

 

1 and 3 are a bit alike I admit, but exploration to complete the entire gameworld seems somewhat more compulsive.

 

I rank myself under the first category.

[Made]

When I first got GTA III, Vice City, or San Andreas the first thing I do is explore. I really like the idea being able to interact in a living breathing city, being able to do pretty much anything there and not suffering the consequences that would follow if done in real life. I think this is a main reason why the GTA series became so popular.

 

I would like to see a game with more stuff though, I like how in San Andreas how you can see peds interact and you can interact with them when they made a comment. Being able to choose what you say and when you can say it would be great; and then those responses can effect your sorroundings like it can get you kill and all the jizz. Also would like to see being able to go into every building. Even though this stuff would be great I don't see it coming within the next few years.

 

I'm looking forward to Crackdown.