Hi jeremy.
I think possibly you were comparing audio games slightly too much to indi
graphical games, where there are always many developers of various skill
levels who influence each other. With audio games that is simply not the
case.
While I do believe that back around the year 2000 after the release of
troopanum there was something of a trend with arcade games, this had pretty
much died out by the time I started playing audio games myself, indeed when
liam announced judgement day in 2006, most people's reaction was "another
space invaders game? oh noo!"
As it turned out he was able to do something pretty amazing with unlockables
and extras, but stil even at that stage people wanted something with a litle
more complexity, however the more complex the game the fewer people have the
skills to do it, so we've seen few examples.
For instance, swamp is actually the first first person shooter game in 5
years sinse technoshock was developed, and there are only two other audio
games that could legitimately be called fp shooters, have weapons, detailed
combat etc, ---- shades of doom and technoshock (possibly gma tank commander
if you just go on perspective and weapon mechanics and ignore the fact your
driving a tank).
Even if we drop the shooter aspect and just talk about fully first person
games, we stil have only two more examples, Sarah and terraformers.
So, as I said I'd love to see a fully realized project, either that or
someone showing how to do things like first person in bgt, so that everyone
learning with bgt can try something different.
Ultimately this all comes back to the old one I've mentioned before,
judgement over reactivity.
I'd say it's not any one style or genre audio games need to move away from
specifically, it's the mindset of here it, react.
Even Moriginal super Mario brothers is a complex game, sinse the speed at
which mario moves, the hight at which he jumps relative to holding the
button, his stopping distance and his speed relative to enemies are all
calculated to require the player to learn, practice and employ spacial
awareness in calculating the game objects.
Thus the player not only gets used to what threats are coming up, but also
how to best control marrio in the game, what sort of distance to leave etc.
This aspect, this judgement and immertion in game mechanics rather than
working basically on fast instant reactions which can be quickly learnt is
imho the thing game develoeprs need to think about most in audio.
I know for a fact if I play superliam, despite not playing for a long time,
I can do just as well as before. here enemy, shoot enemy! here pit, hit up
arrow and hammer right to jump. If however I stick on marrio, odds are it'd
take me a good few lives, just reminding myself of the mechanics!
This isn't a bad thing in some games, indeed rythm action games make a hole
genre out of it, however in audio games we've seen it waaaaaay! too much.
This is also obviously something which all your games thus far had very much
Aprone, and all the more reason I'd like to see you work on a really major
project, sinse I think like Entombed it could be a real landmark and occupy
people for years to come!
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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