Required Features for Video Games

[KyleJCrb]

I definitely agree with having a sound test and customizable controls. The latter is especially helpful for disabled gamers who aren't able to play most games because the controls aren't designed with their disability in mind.

I'd go one step further on the HUD visibility and say HUD customizability. I like having some HUD features, but many games clutter it up with such crap that most of it just gets in the way.

[DarkeSword]

For me its stop including stats that you don't tell people about. I'm sorry but the EV/IV system that I know about is only because of the internet, there's the vague nonspecific references in the Pokemon games themselves and that's just so wrong. I'm not saying they needed to explain it in full detail but they saw fit to tell what attack, hp, and so on meant, so teach me EV/IVs

Again, this isn't really a baseline/standard feature for video games.

[NegimaSonic]

Again, this isn't really a baseline/standard feature for video games.

yes. That only refers to Pokemon. But that was sorta in response to the album director of the Pokemon project >.> However, in all honesty, I read the wrong meaning in his words about transparency. I took it to mean they should hide it more, but in hindsight he was meaning that they should reveal it more, which is in line with what I was saying so was a logic failure on my part.

Still, I just want sound test. I can support the customized controls a bit but every game really doesn't need that, say like classic Mario. Is it really going to matter that you jump with B rather than A? I think they had that in Sonic Advance and I kind of went like what's the point, jumping with L would just be awkward... I know that the main thing is that its about having the right to change rather than whether it makes sense.

I also support the hud on/off thing.

[Zergonaleash]

In GTA4, the amount of swearing is kinda ridiculous, I mean, everyone you walk by on the street throws a curse at you one way or another. I kinda wish I could turn that off, either they'd all just shut up (preferable), or compliment me as I walk down the street (acceptable).

[The Damned]

Actually, I was talking about Chrono Trigger.

Also, I agree with the sound test. It's been so long since I've seen one in a game, I had forgotten about it entirely. Had I seen one in the last ten years, I might have suggested that instead.

I miss sound tests...

[NegimaSonic]

In GTA4, the amount of swearing is kinda ridiculous, I mean, everyone you walk by on the street throws a curse at you one way or another. I kinda wish I could turn that off, either they'd all just shut up (preferable), or compliment me as I walk down the street (acceptable).

lol they had a little of that in San Andreas, people would comment you if you looked "good".

[DarkeSword]

On the topic of sound: I'd like to see adjustable volume levels for music, effects, and voice. Some games only have music and effects, rolling voice into the latter. This isn't good because sometimes effects are very loud and voices are very quiet, and when you turn up the volume to hear voices you get bombarded with really loud sound effects, and when you turn down the volume on those, you have to strain to hear what characters are saying.

[DarkSim]

I recently purchased Machinarium and was delighted that they included a download link for mp3s of every song in the game (check it out, it's brilliant). It took me a few days to complete, but after that I don't need to play the game to enjoy the music (and being a point-and-click adventure game, it's gonna be a while before I forget how to complete it and want to play it again), I can listen to it while working or whatever. This is a massive bonus, because it keeps the game in my mind for far longer, and I'm more likely to tell people about it (like now). More games should do this, especially with downloadable content becoming the norm (Steam etc.). But hey, I'm preaching to the choir, right? This is OCR

So my one major requirement is an optional soundtrack download with your game purchase. This could also easily work with console games (either download to console's HD, or get a code to download elsewhere).

Other things that'd be nice:

• Additional objectives on harder difficulty settings, not just more accurate enemies/lower hp (I'm looking at you, CoD...)
  
• Level timers and rewards (achievements/cheats/alternate game modes etc.) for speedy completion of the game (encourages replays and speedrunning)
  
• Some sort of dev commentary/video on the making of the game - I remember Rogue Leader had one on the Gamecube and it was a fascinating surprise. Portal also had a really good commentary system. Movies have commentaries as standard, why not more games?
  
• BETTER MANUALS SO I CAN READ ABOUT THE GAME IN THE CAR/ON THE TOILET!
  

[The Phalanx]

I kinda wish I could turn that off.

Brutal Legend had that. You could switch it to a 'censored' mode that bleeped out the swear words (which actually made it funnier). Same thing with blood/gore.

Honestly, THIS would be something I think should be mandatory in games with questionable language. Not that I find it offensive personally (I swear like a goddamn sailor) but for those that actually do. It'd also probably take a little bit of the heat off the gaming industry if they show that sort of consideration.

More food for thought, really...

[Invader_Quirk]

You should always be able to turn voice acting off. I hate voice acting in-game. In cinematics, it's fine, but I hate talking to people, finishing reading before they are done talking, cutting them off, and having them start the next line. It's annoying as hell. I don't understand why people push for voice acting in video games unless it's something like Star Fox 64 where talking doesn't stop you from playing.

[BardicKnowledge]

You should always be able to turn voice acting off. I hate voice acting in-game. In cinematics, it's fine, but I hate talking to people, finishing reading before they are done talking, cutting them off, and having them start the next line. It's annoying as hell. I don't understand why people push for voice acting in video games unless it's something like Star Fox 64 where talking doesn't stop you from playing.

This strikes me as two complaints -- the second one being what I'd like to address:

Having a conversation with an NPC should not prevent you from controlling your character and looking around. I rarely spend conversations with people staring into their eyes unblinking and unmoving -- it's unnerving.

Chrono Trigger got this right a long time ago, though this should not be limited to jRPGs. FPS games and western RPGs should adhere to this also. This is why voice acting is nice honestly -- I should be able to listen to Martin speak to me in Oblivion while I am exploring the rest of the room, as opposed to clicking through Caius Cosades' text menu of dialogue in Morrowind (where because everything is text without voice, locking your character into place makes a bit more sense as you must click menus to read more text).

Edit: Every PC/Mac game should have graphics profiles that I can save. If I spend 35 minutes tweaking settings both ingame and in the .ini, I should be able to load sets of those changes instantly, based on whether I want maximum graphics or maximum performance. Don't assign standardized "best graphics" and "best performance" settings arbitrarily; let me define what those are relative to my individual machine please.

[BlackPanther]

I think this would be a good topic for Sephire to discuss in one of his Extra Credit vids =D.

I agree about the sound test thing for sure.

[DarkeSword]

I think this would be a good topic for Sephire to discuss in one of his Extra Credit vids =D.

Yeah definitely! Where is that guy?

SEPHIRE POST IN THIS THREAD

[Gollgagh]

Independent Sound and Music volume

also the ability to play your own music

[Native Jovian]

In GTA4, the amount of swearing is kinda ridiculous, I mean, everyone you walk by on the street throws a curse at you one way or another. I kinda wish I could turn that off, either they'd all just shut up (preferable), or compliment me as I walk down the street (acceptable).

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/8/11/

On the topic of sound: I'd like to see adjustable volume levels for music, effects, and voice. Some games only have music and effects, rolling voice into the latter. This isn't good because sometimes effects are very loud and voices are very quiet, and when you turn up the volume to hear voices you get bombarded with really loud sound effects, and when you turn down the volume on those, you have to strain to hear what characters are saying.

Along the same lines: subtitles. OPTIONAL subtitles. A lot of games have them, but some don't, and it's really annoying when you can't adjust the voice volume separately AND can't turn subtitles on.

While I'm thinking about it, a video option for whether you're using an HD TV or not (though I suppose that's really only an issue for console games). I've played games where some stuff (especially text) looked really terrible because it was designed with an HD TV in mind and I don't have one yet. It's especially doubleplus irritating when stuff like menu options are nigh-illegible because I haven't dropped a grand on a new TV.

[Brandon Strader]

All games should have SUBTITLES BECAUSE I CANT HEAR VERY WELL

[Gollgagh]

games should have redundant subtitles because apparently I can't read very well

[Nabeel Ansari]

Debug mode.

Flying Spartans in god mode ftw

[K.B.]

Everything that is non-player controlled should be skippable, not just cutscenes.

I don't mind taking five. I just don't want to be forced to.

also the ability to play your own music

YES.

Pseudo-edit: there's a tool to hack thbgm.dat. Oh hell yes.

[The Author]

Games with bosses should give a chance to replay any boss fights without having to replay the whole game. Even if they give you a generic setup for the boss rather than what you had, or have, I'd just like to be able to go back to some fights and try them again.

[Rozovian]

This is kind'a breaking the "discover new minigames" formula that minigame games have been using but still:

When I bring a party game to a party, I do not want to have to play through some unlocking campaign mode to get all the minigames available to ppl. Especially if I've already unlocked the game at home but don't wanna bring my own console to the party.

And those minigames should be faster to set up and play. If there's five of us wanting to play wii bowling (which is a turn-based thing anyway), why not allow for five players? Also, stats just for the party. I wanna know how who at the party is the most successful at knocking virtual characters off a platform thingy, or slicing random items.

The gazillion redundant and MANDATORY congratulatory messages and replay vid stuff are especially annoying. There should be an option to turn those off. "hooray, you almost hit that thing, here's how close you were, here's how close you were from another angle, here's your character's reaction, press a to go to the 'next player's turn' message at which you also press a". Mario Party games, I'm looking at you.

[DarkeSword]

Bumping this. Here's another one: don't force me to watch long, slow scrolling, movie-style credits. Credits in movies are like that because you have to put them somewhere. When I beat a game, don't force me to sit through credits. Put the credits in a menu option on the title screen or in the options screen.