Jaesun
Fabulous Ex-Moderator
http://ask.fm/WadjetEyeGames/answer/129185464182
Curious what other people think of this.
While I enjoy adventure games, I've noticed a trend towards me pretty much always end up using a guide for the final stretch. It's not often due to the puzzles being obtuse, but due to me really wanting to see WHAT HAPPENS NEXT and long puzzles kill the momentum. As a designer, any thoughts on this? I have quite a few thoughts! Endings in story based games are problematic for exactly this reason.
If you've done your job right, things are reaching an exciting climax and the player is being rewarded for all their hard work. That is precisely the wrong time to give the player *more* hard work. It grinds the action to a screeching halt and becomes extremely frustrating. It stops being fun, and if you aren't enjoying yourself than I've done something wrong.
It's a difficult balance to strike, for sure. You want the player to have agency, you want events to flow and move naturally, and you still want it to feel rewarding. There's no formula for getting this right. If it feels right, it feels right.
If you've done your job right, things are reaching an exciting climax and the player is being rewarded for all their hard work. That is precisely the wrong time to give the player *more* hard work. It grinds the action to a screeching halt and becomes extremely frustrating. It stops being fun, and if you aren't enjoying yourself than I've done something wrong.
It's a difficult balance to strike, for sure. You want the player to have agency, you want events to flow and move naturally, and you still want it to feel rewarding. There's no formula for getting this right. If it feels right, it feels right.
Curious what other people think of this.