Video game limitations that feel natural to us but are still weird

[Legend]

The game world resets when you're not looking. This could be the main concept of a horror film but in games it's just expected.

The game world is frozen in time. Zelda will just keep waiting, it's fine. It's 2020 so at least everything has day night cycles now.

Almost every player character has telekinesis. Sure it's short range, but objects react to thoughts/button presses and never get physically touched. RDR2 is a rare example of an exception.

Conversations are like tv interviews. The camera swaps from shoulder to shoulder and both people just stand there.



What are some ones you can think of?

[kitler53]

don't know if these count but...


getting shot 6 times is okay as long as you take 10 seconds to rest behind a wall before getting shot again  (...or wrap a band-aid around your right arm as was the case in TLoU).

watching 30+ days of night/day cycles pass but your character has never slept.

being able to execute super-human feats of jumping/climbing while platforming across "plot" devices,.. but being incapable of scaling a 3 foot wall at other times (i'm playing uncharted lost legacy atm if that clarifies my thought).

The absurd amount of ammo that is littered though out gaming worlds.

non-interactive objects that really ought to be interactive.    while playing horizon there are a bunch of cloth tents outside of sunstone it think it was called.   i spent some time walking over them as if they were made out of cement thinking if only this weren't a game i would have collapsed this tent.

[Legend]

don't know if these count but...


getting shot 6 times is okay as long as you take 10 seconds to rest behind a wall before getting shot again  (...or wrap a band-aid around your right arm as was the case in TLoU).

watching 30+ days of night/day cycles pass but your character has never slept.

being able to execute super-human feats of jumping/climbing while platforming across "plot" devices,.. but being incapable of scaling a 3 foot wall at other times (i'm playing uncharted lost legacy atm if that clarifies my thought).

The absurd amount of ammo that is littered though out gaming worlds.

non-interactive objects that really ought to be interactive.    while playing horizon there are a bunch of cloth tents outside of sunstone it think it was called.   i spent some time walking over them as if they were made out of cement thinking if only this weren't a game i would have collapsed this tent.

Uncharted is the worst with a lot of these haha.

But U4 tried to explain away bullet wounds as luck. If Nate gets shot he dies. All the other times the bullets miss but his luck is running out.

[Legend]

It's all about the confidence : gaming

[the-pi-guy]

It's all about the confidence : gaming

I really wish there was a mix of AI that was based off confidence/level/etc.  

Have some NPCs that are confident that keep trying to attack you.  Have other NPCs that have no confidence that just run away.  Even when you're like 10 levels lower.  "I'm not made for conflicts!"  And some NPCs in the middle.  They start out confident.  Then they see they can't best you, and they try running away.  

The kind of sucky bit, is that it wouldn't be too hard of a change, and it would add a lot to the experience I think.  

It legitimately bothers me when I decide to spare someone after they plea.  Only to get attacked by them after.  

[Legend]

I really wish there was a mix of AI that was based off confidence/level/etc.  

Have some NPCs that are confident that keep trying to attack you.  Have other NPCs that have no confidence that just run away.  Even when you're like 10 levels lower.  "I'm not made for conflicts!"  And some NPCs in the middle.  They start out confident.  Then they see they can't best you, and they try running away.  

The kind of sucky bit, is that it wouldn't be too hard of a change, and it would add a lot to the experience I think.  

It legitimately bothers me when I decide to spare someone after they plea.  Only to get attacked by them after.  

I like making friends in games. Mgsv allowed you to convert every enemy to your team and it was amazing in so many ways.

Most games don't let them give up because it encourages you to kill less and get drawn out of the game. The rest of the game needs to be built around the concept, such as Undertale. Peace in most games=boring.



AC with the bounty hunters is so close to solving this. They are big dudes that hunt you down if you commit crimes. Fun.

With an rpg though, they could replace regular enemies as you level up. The guards in a city could flee upon seeing you while special units would be sent in to hunt you down. Like stars in gta but based off level instead of recent actions.