I suspect that part of the problem is that we regularly work with designed systems that have a master plan that can be derived from a small amount of evidence.
I’ve been playing alot of portal and half life 2 lately. (first person shooters with heavy puzzle elements) and I wonder about how the level design is affecting my thought process.
I’m often in a room with a prominent exit and it is clear that that is the exit I’m supposed to take. When the way I came in is blocked I know that there is some other way to get out. When my computer controlled squad mates parrot ‘which way do we go?’ I think to myself ’What do you mean? It’s obvious the level designer wants us to go this way.”
I wonder if this will affect how I deal with real world puzzles where there are many paths that don’t lead to defined goals, but also don’t lead to a clear dead end.
I’ve noticed the same thing with Valve games particularly (esp. after playing through with the developer commentary): they just seem so perfectly designed to guide the player that it becomes a bit boring. I want a few moments of running around in frustration before realizing “Aha! That’s what you want me to do! How non-obvious.” (A bit more like the old text-based adventures, King’s Quest series, etc., in other words.)
Yes! I start interpreting things I see in game as communication from the developers, rather than a universe to figure out. Which is fine in game, but I worry it’s training me for magical thinking.
King’s Quest style games solve some of this problem, probably because there’s more ‘noise’; Pointless things you can do, more places to wander.
Grand Theft Auto is even more open ended. Though I haven’t played the recent incarnations much.
For a while, whenever I heard any number of songs on the Dance Dance Revolution Supernova playlist I had an almost insuperable urge to jump around like a friggin’ idiot.
When I used to play a lot of Quake III, I had dreams where I’d have the sensation of moving around using jump-pads. I’ve also caught myself walking along the street and half-consciously scanning for potential cover and ambush points. My most disturbing video game carryover was a brief impulse after a long GTA session to gun my car at a pedestrian crossing a zebra crossing.
I suspect that part of the problem is that we regularly work with designed systems that have a master plan that can be derived from a small amount of evidence.
I’ve been playing alot of portal and half life 2 lately. (first person shooters with heavy puzzle elements) and I wonder about how the level design is affecting my thought process.
I’m often in a room with a prominent exit and it is clear that that is the exit I’m supposed to take. When the way I came in is blocked I know that there is some other way to get out. When my computer controlled squad mates parrot ‘which way do we go?’ I think to myself ’What do you mean? It’s obvious the level designer wants us to go this way.”
I wonder if this will affect how I deal with real world puzzles where there are many paths that don’t lead to defined goals, but also don’t lead to a clear dead end.
You could play procedural games like nethack or Dwarf Fortress, which have no railroading, and some things you encounter just can’t be solved.
Those kind of games aren’t as popular as “mainstream” ones like Portal, but they may better reflect the real world.
I’ve noticed the same thing with Valve games particularly (esp. after playing through with the developer commentary): they just seem so perfectly designed to guide the player that it becomes a bit boring. I want a few moments of running around in frustration before realizing “Aha! That’s what you want me to do! How non-obvious.” (A bit more like the old text-based adventures, King’s Quest series, etc., in other words.)
Yes! I start interpreting things I see in game as communication from the developers, rather than a universe to figure out. Which is fine in game, but I worry it’s training me for magical thinking.
King’s Quest style games solve some of this problem, probably because there’s more ‘noise’; Pointless things you can do, more places to wander.
Grand Theft Auto is even more open ended. Though I haven’t played the recent incarnations much.
This wired article may interest you.
Amusing article—I can’t quite get my mind around feeling that way abuoy quake, but I’ll cop to dreaming about Tetris when I was younger - .
Jonnane
For a while, whenever I heard any number of songs on the Dance Dance Revolution Supernova playlist I had an almost insuperable urge to jump around like a friggin’ idiot.
When I used to play a lot of Quake III, I had dreams where I’d have the sensation of moving around using jump-pads. I’ve also caught myself walking along the street and half-consciously scanning for potential cover and ambush points. My most disturbing video game carryover was a brief impulse after a long GTA session to gun my car at a pedestrian crossing a zebra crossing.