The Perfect Game

When we play games we often look for certain things. Some folks like simple games that pass the time for them. Some like games that take time to complete and many hours of "work" to get better. Then there are others that are laughing at me for trying to list of the types of players. In the end though it's obvious that there are certain aspects of games that we like (those aspects can be different, of course). I'll take a look at one of the more common ones that I see.

I can't define this need that gamers have. I'm not entirely sure what to call it, but I do know what they want. Many gamers want a game that essentially simulates life. Now you can rightfully ask why. However the answer is unclear and can dig very deep if you allow it to (just like anything else imo). It seems to me though that folks want to experience freedoms in game that they cannot in life. Whether those freedoms are ones we'd partake in or not is up in the air, but having the choice to do so is what matters. Now I'm saying "we", but who exactly "we" is is entirely up to you the reader. I'm going to stop here, and this may bother some which is understandable. However I must stop here with this discussion and leave it to readers to comment/think about this, because it is an endless discussion as I see it. You have to narrow the scope of thought.

So here I'm going to talk about Darkfall. Darkfall is a game that supposedly breaks from the mold and offers choice. I have not played Darkfall so I cannot say from firsthand experience (firsthand experience is overrated often times anyways) what the game is like. However I can comment on the idea behind it and apply it to my original topic. You can never offer complete choice in a game. The reason for that is because games are simple creations. Yes there are graphics, and the internet is involved etc etc, but what you are allowed to do in games is limited. I mean hell, look at a game like Warhammer....you can't even walk around in WAR. You have to run or ride. That's a limitation right there. Apply that to damn near everything in games and you start feeling more and more limited. Often these things are cleverly disguised. Then again some folks don't care. They bought the game to fight, not walk. Anyways back to Darkfall. The game is vast from what I understand. Much larger than most games you can play these days. Add in players from around the (real) world and you've got yourself a digitalized world. Give options on what you can do at any given moment and you've got a best seller. However lets break down what you can do in Darkfall.

1) You can fight other people
2) You can explore
3) You can make stuff (craft)
4) You can chat with other people
5) You can...get the picture?

These are all things we like to do in life, so it's no surprise that we look for these features in games. However they are usually cheap imitations of real life activities. So you have to think...what's the benefit? Is it because you can kill other people? Is that what you feel is missing from life? Is it the competition? Why play games? Does it fill a void? Why do we like for our games to have features that emulate real life then? What void are they filling? Questions...I was trying to avoid those nasty buggers, but I didn't find myself having much choice (haha) about it. No I'm not clever, nor am I trying to be. What I'm trying to do here is write a blog entry that will provoke some thought and maybe get some feedback with a perspective I hadn't considered.

This post is about you, the reader (wait...people read my blog?). Make what you will of this entry. It's not complete, but nothing is for that matter. Do the best you can with it and get back to me. Later.