Hi Tom.
I do agree access is an issue, but what I find quite interesting is that
many of the very successful audio games have introduced features which
incorporate elements of the audio experience into the game, rather than
directly trying to adapt mainstream games verbatim.
For all swamp borrows from various fps elements, there is a lot in the game
that wouldn't exist without the audio. For example zombi footsteps, the need
of using rythm to create head shots, even aspects of the mouse targeting
system.
Audio packman, (as I've said before), is for me a much more intresting play
experience than graphical packman, it lacks the total maze overview and
management of several elements at once, ie, being able to see where packman
and all the ghosts are at all times and tracking movements accordingly.
however audio packman instead introduces an exporation and area navigation
mechanic, as well as a good degree of split second timing.
The same could be said for shades of doom and enemies like the silent
walkers or use of audio nav elements to create hazards.
This is one reason why it is likely a lot of mainstream gamers got
interested in Papasangre from somethinelse, sinse their games represent a
lot of use of audio elements for direct challenge, for instance having floor
sections that when walked over will mean the enemies come to get the player
by noise, or hazards created by things that are harder to hear.
I wonder therefore if a good way to considder game design, rather than the
method in the past of trying to recreate as much of mainstream games as
possible, might be to work on what might create a good game in audio.
For example, we have mentioned before the problem of judgement vs reaction
and of showing realistic enemy attacks in a side scrolling game.
Suppose however, rather than trying to directly model the idea of the player
having to avoid attacks, we introduce audio factors which mean the player
must use his/her judgement to counter them.
So imagine a 1D side scroller ala superliam (or even one with climbable
ladders like mota).
The player is armed with a sword and shield, and has two buttons, one to
attack with the sword, one to block with the shield. Enemies will either
initiate a melee attack, which must be parried with the sword, or a
projectile attack which must be blocked with the shield. EAch of these
attacks is telegraphed, ie, the player hears it coming, however the speed of
it landing will depend upon the distance from the enemy, meaning the player
must estimate a specific time interval from hearing the sound of the enemy
launching the attack and of either parrying or shielding, I'm thinking
somehting similar to Jim's golf game though with different sounds). In
addition of course, the player is more likely to hit the enemy when the
enemy is not attacking. Then of course, if each attack type has specific
sounds there are possibilities such as arrows flying out of walls, or even
fire balls out of pits which the player needs to shield against (we'll
assume it's a magic shield).
In a mainstream game, this sort of thing wouldn't work, sinse the player
always has access to what the enemy is doing, indeed the original prince of
persia was cryticised for using soemthing similar, (though slightly
simpler). It is also absolutely obsurd that any mainstream game would
telegraph it's attacks before launching them unless for a very specific
reason.
This would however be a case where audio could be used to create a simple
judgement based combat system which would contribute significantly to the
playability of the game where as simply having attack sounds the player
needs to instantly react to would not.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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