In my perfect adventure game there will be....

By danyboy_ on Thu May 28, 2009 at 3:14AM

Question is simple, In my perfect adventure game there will be...

Some hard and less difficult puzzles.

Just post what you want to have in your perfect adventure game.

CU

danyboy

Great question Dany. I'd say that, for me, the ideal things would be great story and some clever, but not too tricky puzzles. Definitely storythat will make sense and make me want to keep playing and avoid using walkthroughs if possible. :-)

By manormistress on Fri May 29, 2009 at 2:16AM

Ambiance that fits the story, different worlds to travel to, many puzzles (hard and easy), nice music, lots of characters and a surprise ending.

By danyboy_ on Fri May 29, 2009 at 3:49AM

Thanks Gelert! Hey guys don't post all your adventure game desires at the same time or you wont have anything else to say later. Those are great things to have in the perfect adventure game.

CU

danyboy

In my perfect adventure there would be good logical puzzles. And the hero would be tall, dark, handsom and just a little dangerous. Oh yes he would be funny and witty too.

hatshepsut

I'll amend mine. I'll say ......... excellent story, good puzzles (even insanely silly ones), great music and ambiance and, finally (for now), but crucially, where relevant, good quality voice acting and script (one of the reasons that, for me, I disliked N.I.B.I.R.U. - I know others would disagree).

Graphics aren't such a major concern for me. Schnazziness aint everything!

THERE WILL BE NO!...Inane, boring, monotonous long drawn out dialogs gabbing on and on about something that has nothing to do with the game

THERE WILL BE NO!...Dressing the character in different clothes

THERE WILL BE NO!...Cooking

THERE WILL BE NO!...Talking to dozens of NPC's that have no information whatsoever for me

THERE WILL BE NO!...Books to read. Books that go on and on page after page. If you need all this reading to move your story along then you shouldn't be making games, go write a novel.

I ditto GreyFuss's list and will add :
NO timed parts.
When you die it will take you back to the point right before not to the last save and make you replay everything all over again!!!!
Will have saves-- saves you can do not save points that they pick for you.

In my perfect adventure game there will be clearly marked and named inventory items.

hatshepsut

In my perfect adventure game there will not be any action sequences but there will be a great story and wonderful puzzle.

CU

danyboy

I love off-beat puzzles and off-beat humor in my games. Zork Grand Inquisitor has the best of both in that respect.

In my perfect adventuregame there's an interesting story that unfolds as you solve all sorts of puzzles.
That sounds obvious, but it seems this is near impossible to accomplish.
Games that have the best stories (imo Broken Sword 1, Gabriel Knight 2,...) mainly use inventory management and dialogue to move the story forward.
Games with actual puzzles, like Aura, tend to be thin on story.
And others, like the Myst games, have a good story, but solving a puzzle there does not really reveal something new, storywise.
So far, the games that best used puzzles to tell a story are in my opinion the Tex Murphy games and Gabriel Knight 1.

Oh, and my perfect adventuregame does not have any feature that by any stretch could be referred to as 'casual'.

I don't mind timed bits so much though, as long as they don't occur right after a long cutscene and end with a long death/game over scene (was that Broken Sword 3?).

But I'm easy to please, or some say I have no taste.
I enjoyed almost every AG I played for one reason or another. And the very few I really disliked turned out to be the accepted favorites of the genre. Still don't know what to make of that.

HandsFree

You got that right. Seems like a dying art to be able to move a story along with gameplay and puzzles. Many of the newer games just don't have it. Seems like they are more like "Hunt & Fetch It" games. For example I need to visit a Locksmith to repair a key to be able to open a secret door. The Locksmith informs me that he will be glad to fix it if I will get his dog a fresh bone from the Butcher. The Butcher will be glad to help me if I can fix his freezer door which requires a trip to the hardware store where he informs me that I will have to......well you get the story. Or the only way they progress a story is for you to read a dozen pages from a diary which actually takes you out of the game play just so you can stop and read. Just seems like there aren't too many that can combine story telling through the players gameplay anymore...shame

I agree with so much here that I'll have to think about the little that I disagree with and sort it all out later (It's an hour into the new decade, after all.).
I'll edit or re-post.
But, believe it or not :suspect: , I'm, for once not just rambling on to waste everyone's time.

I actually have two cents to put in, left over from last year of course.

First... First person AND third person as a convenient choice throughout the game (Thief three did it, so why not?).

Second... no Lara Croft style jumping puzzles. Pushing crates around isn't so bad, I guess, because they at least stay put. But to keep missing a series of jumps, even if the workmen conveniently left a ladder at the beginning, frustrates me.

Third (I found another cent under the cushion in our car )... A private investigator/detective (even if... or better if... an amateur) and/or a murder/serial killer, or some other kind of mystery. This just comes in third because, after all, I love The Longest Journey and so many other "must save humanity" plots! and even more sorts of plots (especially goofy ones!)... BUT... in my perfect game... There would be a Tex Murphy/Gabriel Knight type... and I'm not sure... but I think he gets the girl in the end.
(oh gee... but I absolutely love Traitors' Gate and I wouldn't call it just a puzzle game... but is there a plot there? )


And lastly (stole a cent from The Salvation Army woman with that infernal bell)... an internal hint system like in Tex Murphy, BUT no points. Gaining points to find out how much of the game you've found out is a good thing for replay value. Having points taken away for something like using a hint doesn't feel like a good thing.

And Post-lastly (hmm... I'll have to owe you all a cent... "another year older and deeper in debt" )... Point and click with mouse movement to move the character and an instructional video that tells you how to play the game so you don't even need a manual (although the manual may be waaay cool ). This last point, and perhaps the point above (you know... the "lastly" one) are based on the best interface I have ever seen: Tex Murphy: Overseer. ... I mean... WOW!

Are interface details a part of this discussion?

Hi Raj and welcome. I agree point and click for me. No keyboard control. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on interface.

hatshepsut

My priorities like with an original and well told (and well paced) story. with vivid and unique charactrs as well as (very importantly) clever dialogue.)

my adventure gaming is still in it's infancy, but this is in general what i look for in any game.