Game mechanics that you miss

[Carlos Massiah]

Games have changed a lot since we have the capacity to do so much better graphics mostly for the better, but there are bits of games that I miss.


I like good old stats on items. A image of a bow or some kind of item, but with a set of stats, like fire damage knock back and all those good things. Do I take the 5d2+4 damage bow or the 2d8+3 ?

Another thing I like is really abstract games, ones which are mostly played through menu's and involve lots of tactical decision making , or long term planning (like RCT )

I also like those good old tiles and blocks in games. Thankfully Civilization has kept with them to this day.

What game mechanics do you miss from old games?

 

[Geraldine]

Hi Carlos and welcome to the forum!
To get this out of the way , I miss in modern space sims, a procedurally generated galaxy with a Newtonian flight model. There I said it!

As to other things I miss, why do game devs these days think that by making a game look nice with lots of flashy graphics, they can skip on deep story lines?

My seminal example of this is the Deus Ex series. The first was the weakest in the graphics department, yet the best by far in the storyline. Most people will agree that Deus Ex 2 Invisible War was an "inferior game" when compared to the original, even though technically speaking (graphics) it was superior. That says alot to me about how having improved graphics have had a undesirable side effect in games development.

 

[Sir.Tj]

Hi Carlos and welcome to the forum!
To get this out of the way , I miss in modern space sims, a procedurally generated galaxy with a Newtonian flight model. There I said it!

Arrgh....you beat me to it

Welcome to the forum Carlos, Personally I miss A procedurally gener....I miss the the simple games where you could just dip into without having to wait for cutscenes and the suchlike.

 

[DraQ]

No particular mechanics, but the fact how modern games tend to be simplified and dumbed down despite having all the tech necessary to make them immensely more complex and interesting.

Also soul, there is something hard to describe but readily apparent that games created by enthusiastic individuals loving their jobs have and games made by a bunch of corporate drones and designed by committees completely lack.

Also, interactivity - I thought interactive movies were long dead by now and for good reasons.

 

[Pushtrak]

As to other things I miss, why do game devs these days think that by making a game look nice with lots of flashy graphics, they can skip on deep story lines?

Well, it happened to Hollywood too. Not much of a surprise in it happening to games, too.

Well, the only thing that I can think of that deserves to be mentioned is the dwindling of co-operative splitscreen. Now, I am more of a single player game person by nature, but when the mood for some co-op fun strikes, I'd rather do it in a splitscreen capacity than a online one. Yes, splitscreen still gets attention, but I fear it is going down the road of the Dodo.

 

[Spacegamer]

Isometric arcade adventure games like Alien 8,Batman and Get Dexter,sadly no one makes this kind of game anymore.

 

[Callum Rowley]

Well, the only thing that I can think of that deserves to be mentioned is the dwindling of co-operative splitscreen. Now, I am more of a single player game person by nature, but when the mood for some co-op fun strikes, I'd rather do it in a splitscreen capacity than a online one. Yes, splitscreen still gets attention, but I fear it is going down the road of the Dodo.

There really isn't enough split-screen these days, I agree with that. It's surprising when you have people over just how few multiplayer games there are which don't require you be connected to the internet to play.

 

[spoodle]

i miss straigthforward platform games, like crash bandicoot 1. games where there are only two actions