Non-scripted gameplay boring?

[Katulobotomia]

I just had a terrible thought. Ive always preferred the idea of gameplay being non-scripted, but then I thought that then there would not be any missions like in Operation Flashpoint: "We need to hold the village at any cost. Intelligense suggest enemy units are closing this location. Prepare to fight at all cost." or "There is a enemy camp in sector Gi 32, neutralize the enemy and capture the ´thingie´ and bring prisoners back alive.".
Now in 1944 the missions would only be like "go here", "attack here", "fall back" etc.


So what do you think? Should we go forward into a future of real-time-created events where there's no ability to know what's going on? Or stick to the old way?

[DarkCanuck]

If the ai is as intelligent as has been written about nonscripting will be better. the replay value, in theory will be infanite. that cannot be said about scripted games.

[BillSpargo]

It intrigues me how the human factor will effect the game play and dynamics within the game compared to a total AI run game. The most important factor to your question will be what number and influence that human players have within the higher ranks, as these will be the ones who decide and prioritise targets and their value and provide a possibly higher moral imperitive to the game.

[2ltben]

I always prefer to have at least some semblance of a script. If kept on a rail, there won't be much replay value, but just because something is scripted doesn't mean it needs to be on a rail. Narratology and nonlinearity can work together, and could be far better than a completely nonlinear game like BF2, where the string-and-tape background information is kept to text and the intro movie.

[Hyperion2010]

Scripted gameplay is good once, maybe twice if only "partially" scripted. This is simply because the game persents the same chalenge over and over with virtually identical settings.

In truely openended gameplay (FarCry is as close as you can come) where the AI makes the rules the same scenario can be played multiple times over without once having it seem repetative. Its just more intellectually chalenging. (Try playing FC by killing as few enemies as possible and using the MP5 to sneek, and compare that to running through blasting, if FC were scripted, you couldnt do that, and it would be down 20 HRS of gametime)

[DaveP]

I can see you tried to slip a Q&A question in there.



So I deleted that part, and it's a discussion.

Read the sticky.





In my opinion most the stuff you mention can now be done in real time. Combat-audio and voices have improved ten fold over recent times, as have AI, and games like 1944D-Day with their advanced Ai won't have any problem making it seem as awesome or exciting as scripted games.

[2ltben]

Well 1944 has a basic script, the actual historic events. You're not going to see an alien invasion in the middle of the Juno landings because the AI feels its appropriate. Its simple narrative and doesn't have an actual scripted narrative, but its scripted through scenario.

[Lord Justin]

Well 1944 has a basic script, the actual historic events. You're not going to see an alien invasion in the middle of the Juno landings because the AI feels its appropriate. Its simple narrative and doesn't have an actual scripted narrative, but its scripted through scenario.

That's not so much a script as it is a theme. Of course the game ahs the theme that is the historical event, but scripting in games really refers to things, predesignated by the designers, that the player has to do in order to continue the game. In games such as 1944, there really is no 'continuation,' so to speak, of the game. It's free-roaming and you can do what you want. What the player does affects the world and afects the player's experience rather than deciding whether or not the storyline advances.

And Hyperion, FarCry isn't as close to unscripted gameplay as it comes :p . I haven't played it, but it sounds like that's the closest to a linear unscripted game. Completely unscripted games like Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2, as well as Source multiplayer games (i.e. CSS and DoDS) give the player no orders nor story.These are the games I truly love because I, the player, make my own story and live through it. It's so much better telling someone about an event that happened in some freak chain of events that caused some odd or spectacular happening when it was you that made it happen, not the designers.

[/rant] That's why I love unscripted games. I get to make my own amazing war story :D .

[enigma]

Scripted games as others have said are cool, you know the pegesus bridge level on COD, first time i played that i was 'WOW' .... 2nd time round ... 3rd time round .... the feeling wasnt there, there was no wonder at where the enemy would come from or what was going to happen .... it was basically the same thing over and over.

You got flashpoint, as you brought up ... the events are scripted but with so many variables in the game it stayed addictive and fun. In my exp, no mission was really ever the same exp.

Then you got the Combat mission games ... theres no scipts in there to make buildings explode n stuff to keep you on your seat.
Some thrilling and intense combat insures and the PBEM ... if a tad slow adds on to the exp.

Each way is fun, although the non scripted ... where you have no idea what to expect etc is alot more fun in my exp but then something like flashpoint is really enjoyable ... even if the ending is basically known.

So just my £0.2 on the subject.

[[BEF]-R!G4M0RT!Z]

Yea, I find most un-scripted games better, because you can do whatever, and, I hate it on games, where you know exactly where the AI is going to come from... (Generally scripted games)

Haha, at enigma's '20p on the topic' :D

[2ltben]

Unscripted games differ in the lower levels but its always the same thing over and over and over. "Attack enemy squad at position X", "Eliminate convoy Y", "Patrol Z". These are not unscripted games. They just put a few very generic scripted missions into a big box and just pick one when you need another mission.

[enigma]

-R!G4M0RT!Z']Yea, I find most un-scripted games better, because you can do whatever, and, I hate it on games, where you know exactly where the AI is going to come from... (Generally scripted games)

Haha, at enigma's '20p on the topic' :D
as its much better then 2p :D



lmao ... missed the other 0 out hehe

[Lordwatson]

Sure scripting can give a real buzz the first time, and in a way gives the devs a bit of peace of mind, because they KNOW the AI will do this because they told them to, without fear of perhaps the AI not completing a waypoint and the game just standing still because certain variables havent been met, BUT, for a start one AI unit screwing up in gameplay generally wont impede the player in progressing, anjd its certainly worth the risk to have more open ended gameplay with far more options for completing a level. I reckon Half Life 2 probably has the best mix of this. Sure there is a central storyline and USUALLY enemies are found in the same place but such a complex AI system means they respond differently every time. Gives it replayability!

[[BEF]-R!G4M0RT!Z]

as its much better then 2p :D



lmao ... missed the other 0 out hehe


Haha, thought so :D

[A.I.]

I believe that the 1944 A.I. would be much more responsive than OP:F which actually covered the basics. And Operation Overlord was no picnic.

[Lordwatson]

Oh of course! No doubt! OFP AI were very very stupid!
They see you, they are not surprised, they simply swivel round to try and hit you :D

[enigma]

OFP AI wasnt that bad ;)

I mean ive seen them rout when they have been hit hard, and there was a time i recall where i cam thundering over a hill in a BMP and an entire infantry squad legged it. Not all spinning round unsurpried and shooting you.

[Hyperion2010]

With good AI, the level design becomes your script.

[2ltben]

Scripting is not events. Scripting is narrative. Its the setting, mood, tone, plot of the game. Just having a string of similarly designed maps, no matter how great the design or AI, won't go beyond mediocre.