Introduction
This week’s poll asks a question that is probably too complex to have in a simple poll, but I thought I would ask it anyway. I’ve tried to give you choices that I think reflect the possible reason but I am sure you will need to comment.
Why do you play Single Player FPS Games?
To clarify, it’s not the FPS part that matters but the Single Player part.
No Single Reason
Of course no single answer can encompass everybody
Why do I play single-player FPS games? Simple. I suck at multi-player games.
If I lose, I get annoyed. If I lose again, I get annoyed more. After for dying for the 20th time, I lost my patience and quit. Not much fun factor there.
I like to see places I’ll never see in real life, for example, Serious Sam (The first) shows beautiful landscapes and extraordinary architecture of the egyptician culture, maybe most of it fictional but still very impressive.
And half-life, well, the storytelling is the reason why I love that game so much.
Games like System shock 2, with RPG element, it’s really satisfying to get upgrades, no game has actually made me feel stronger and faster like System Shock 2.
No matter if the game character you are playing with has a story or a name, I feel I’m the one who is among that world.
That’s why I play singleplayer FPS’s.
And I agree 100% with Fluffy’s comment too.
I did consider putting something like that in but felt there wouldn’t be enough people who felt like that. It will be interesting to see if other people have the same opinion.
Essentially a loner, I would rather go it alone. It bugs me to no end when I have to push a scientist or Barney to do something. Alex is OK.
There are two main reasons I play single-player games a huge amount more than multi-player.
1. I like to play games at my own pace. I don’t want someone else to ruin my fun or make me feel inadequate or like I’m not doing as well as I should be. It’s up to the game itself to tell me that.
2. I simply prefer the experience you get from single-player gaming, the story, the flow of gameplay, the environments, etc. Multi-player tends to just be a competition of who’s the fastest or who can kill you first. To me, that isn’t as enjoyable as uncovering a mystery or exploring new locales.
Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the awful Mario Brothers, nonetheless once wonderfully summed up what makes a good games (and I feel this is particularly true for SP FPS) as follows:
“When I was a child, I went hiking and found a lake. It was quite a surprise for me to stumble upon it. When I travelled around the country without a map, trying to find my way, stumbling on amazing things as I went, I realized how it felt to go on an adventure like this. The spirit, the state of mind of a kid when he enters a cave alone must be realized in the game…”
That having been said (or quoted), some of the greatest gaming fun I’ve had has been playing Doom II coop with my wife over the office network…
I’d like to confirm my opinion by saying that, while I hate multi-player games, I love cooperative games.
I play FPS” for the reason that while I love a great story I get bored quickly. This is why I have a hard time with RPG’s, they have wonderful stories but I get bored in the slow parts and tend to forget about them. In an FPS game I consider it a good game if it can keep me from getting bored (either by giving me enemies to blow the hell up like Half Life 2 or keeping me tense like F.E.A.R.).
The merging of in depth stories and constant action has been the main reason for playing FPS’.
However, Half Life and Half Life 2 have also done somehting that is another good reason for me too. Its the total immersion, the fact that I see the game entirely through my eyes and never from a 3rd person view.
I used to waiver over whether I like FPS” or RPG’s more (back in the Quake 2 days) but now with Half Life 2 its FPS” for me!
I agree 100%.I love HL and check every day for a new mod just to see if I can get a fix.HL changed my life really.I setup lan servers for the kids to play on then bought copy’s for thier friend’s so they could play.It’s an experience that some wont like but for others its the best.
So that would mean your sorta hot for her since she is by no means a hot chick.Dont get me wrong I feel same way but dont know why.I have her naked mod installed for some kick’s but its not the same.She,to me,has a mystery that hasn’t been explained.
Well, my reasons for playing Solo FPS are:
-I’m not good at multiplayer, really.
You can play and play, and lose and lose. But with time you get better. But I can’t practice to much because is very repetitive for me. For the CSS gamers sake… the game’s good, but why only they play Dust2 and Aztec (luckily) only?
Also, as Fluffy the Hamster says, I get pissed. It’s bugs the crap of me those idiots ruining my experiencie with cheats, AWP bitching or just being a GOD-DAMN PRO (with big “ego” if my day is bad).
-A story to follow and keep you focused:
Hell, I know it’s difficult to narrate a story with the limited POV of FPS, but some games really done that very well: FEAR, Half Life 1 & 2. But Halo done it with a third POV too ^^. A existing story is something that differences a good serious game for gamers from the casual gaming thingies for casual gamers (they must die!).
That are my big good reasons.
PD: I founded an old FPS really cool, but certainly different from others: “Clive Barkers Undying” anyone played it?
multiplayer = lose
single player = win
win…lose
win…lose
hmmm…choices
If I’m going to step away from life, sit at my computer and play a game, I choose to win!
There’s nothing better than a good single player FPS that keeps you playing all night long.
Games like Doom, Unreal, Half-Life (and some other classics), really made me play for hours and hours.
Too bad that most Shooters now a days are just gimmicks, good graphics but awful gameplay. That’s why I look forward to STALKER, that game seems to be the “redemption”… 😉
i think i’m not skilled enough for mp….i don’t like cheaters and I like the way of solving little puzzle or simply think what next to day but not only in a tactical way (mp)
I play Single Player games because I prefer them. I have played multiplayer FPS games and apparently I’m none too bad, but I constantly find myself going back to the Solo sections.
To me SP games require more skill then MP. Generally you can win MP games by placing tripmines at the top of ladders and lobbing grenades everywhere, but in SP games you can’t do that – AI isn’t that smart (!). You have to duck behind cover, peak out and plan your shots. You have to use your surroundings. You need to think.
Also, there’s usually a compelling story (I have played many a game where this wasn’t the case and it really does detract from the playing experience) and you can play whenever you want – if you’ve had enough, you save and quit.
It’s not just for FPS – I’m also a big fan of platformers and adventure games, which have similar aspects, but SP FPS games are my main source of entertainment and that’s why I love them.
Responding to other people’s comments:
Passerby – Co-Op is fantastic – it’s like having the most advanced AI working with you. Fantastic. I just wish I had a friend who lived nearby so they could play Zelda Four Swords with me…
Ezequielhl – Yeah, I’ve got Undying. I played it for a while before getting distracted by something shiny. It’s certainly an interesting game.
Stef – Puzzles! Another plus. Tax those brain muscles! You can’t really do that in MP, can you? But you do get them in Co-Op – another reason to play games with a friend…
I’ve often looked at the Co-ops and thought that is the only AI..It isn’t AI, it is other like minds on other machines working towards a common goal..You play co-op in games like chess..You are trying to out wit the animal in the other… No other can suffice..If it is better AI you seek then creating a team of your own or joining one it blows AI out of the water. I have gone in on spectator mode and watched this. it is quite entertaining. Cyber warfare at it’s best. I doubt programming will ever be able to incorporate the quantum chaotic synapse of other minds on other machines. There is no way to predict this with programming, at least not in the foreseeable future.
If it is AI you think you want, what you really want is to pit your skills against another human mind or minds. What you want is Co-op. Even if it is just mano e mano. Mano e mano on a any (I’d think larger the better) map would be the way to go if you want to simulate SP FPS AI….
Would vote both #1 & #2, but can’t do that, so settled on #2.
I hate multiplayer, to me its about on par with going to a dentist!
Another thing is the enjoyment I get from artificial intelligence. I practically had an orgasm when I saw HL1 barney in Counter-life with a shotgun. No way would that happen with a player.
For me, I have enough stuff in my everyday life that I have to concede to & not have as much control & freedom over. To be able to be totally immersed in an “alien” world apart from my own that I am singly in charge of my destiny is key. Freedom, though, would be my foremost enjoyment. Freedom to look about on my own, freedom to plan & create my own attacks/strategy, freedom to live or to die, freedom to take as long as I damn well feel like it to figure something out without having to worry about someone sniping my beautiful arse.
So that would mean your sorta hot for her since she is by no means a hot chick.Dont get me wrong I feel same way but dont know why.I have her naked mod installed for some kick’s but its not the same.She,to me,has a mystery that hasn’t been explained.[/quote]
Well, actually what I meant was she doesn’t seem to get in the way the way others do. I am too old to be even lukewarm for her.
Alyx is a cartoon boys..settle down..lol.. They portray her physical attributes as what Hollywierd considers beauty yes., but Alyx’s mind creates the mystique. In my opinion what makes her sexy. I myself pursue highly intelligent capable women.. My wife has 3 degrees and has a black belt.. So to me Alyx’s character is quite inebriating to say little. It is what makes her “hot” as some of you say.
It’s not so much being being hot or anything,it’s the mystery that surrounds her.What do any HL gamers know about her or where she came from.She shows up in HL2 ans she becomes a topic of discussion yet where did she evolve from?(besides the obvious said in the game.She is an older person than the 5 years(?) that passed between releas’s
send me a pic and I’ll tell ya if it’s worth shooting at 😉
You naughty man …
Your point being? lol
I kinda like it.
*painstakingly awaiting pics* 😉
8:06pm EST Edit: I’m loading shotgun now.
Phillip is gonna fuss at us, but that’s how a Goddess rolls … always keep them wanting more!
Mystique is quite the aphrodisiac yes?.. I’ve always thought so
andyb and goddess alyria: thanks for the laugh, I needed that.
first of all, I just enjoy FPS SP or MP. I like action, which both provide. I think inorder to define what makes me play a singleplayer game you would also have to define the game, cause its one thing: the story. like many people use books to take them to new and exiteing places and on grand adventures in the settings, I too use singleplayer games for that very reason.
i then jump on my favorite CSS zombie mod server and take out some fustration by decapitating some relentless zombies heh
I agree with taking out frustrastion but for MP there is no story or anything in it to keep me occupied.It’s die and respawn or play by myself and enjoy it while following the story line.MP is just a few maps that have no story or direction.It would be nice thou if someone made a MP mod that doesn’t require killing the other guy but have an objective like saving someone from death or keep a ship from blowing up but the other player has the oposite task.sounds more co-op to me but could be a multi task game too where more players can join.just my drunken thought for the day
Here, here. Someone buy this person a beer!
Passes a bottle of Glen Levet.
Children, Children. Please take you fantasies elsewhere.
Lol…There it is, your fuss you all worried about.. and ya’ll wasa hopin fer’a spankin..lol
Single player games interest me so much more than multi-player (by which I mean boring DEATHMATCH) simply due to the fact that I find it more fulfilling to unravel a great story and/or have fun just shooting stuff without fear of dying fifty times.
In SP, you can have a great gunfight with the AI (Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R., Far Cry), something not done often in MP.
SP: Peek out from behind a column and fire a burst at a soldier doing the same thing.
MP: Peek out from behind a column and get a hail of bullets in the face from a player charging like Rambo, spraying his strongest automatic weapon/quadruple-barrelled shotgun (MP only, of course) and die, ad infinitum (or in my case, ad twice and quit).
In SP, you can also get the feeling of being some kind of hero. Can you say you single-handedly took on an entire military installation or defeated an oppressive alien race or beat back the legions of Hell in MP? No! In MP, you can say “LIEK OMG I GOT FRAGGED 20 TIMES IT WAS AAAWWWWEEEESSSOOOMMMEEEE!!1!!1!11”
Then there’s the element of real teamwork in SP (Alyx, fellow soldiers, etc.). In MP it’s either “Er… maybe I’ll help killer666… nah, DEATHMATCH!” or just simply “DEATHMATCH!!!”
I’ll admit I sometimes play MP, but it’s usually with bots, since I know that bots aren’t cheating or gloating when they kill me (gloaters really piss me off). I also like co-op (more games need this!). Co-op is great because you’re not trying to kill each other, you’re working together to beat the levels.
That reminds me — team games like CSS or TFC are never played properly. Instead of “Bob” covering “Joe” with sniper fire, “Bob” and “Joe” both rush towards the enemy to see who can “pwn the most n00bs’. Rescuing hostages, capturing flags, etc, is just something to increase their personal score. I say remove personal scores and have only team scores! No powerups or rewards for single team members, no recognition for kills, nothing. Maybe that would get people to work together, since there would be no huge personal score for them to masturbate over… or not. DEATHMATCH!
Hmmm… I’m rambling. I’d better stop. Just before I do, anyone remember the time shortly after Half-Life 2 was released? People were complaining there was no MP version! Oh, boo-hoo! To shut them up, VALVe had to waste time programming a deathmatch variant instead of working on patches or expansions for the SP portion of the game! However, instead of making MP maps, they had the deathmatchers make maps for them. Pretty clever. Have them create the maps and concentrate on the real fun — Single Player!
That’s another thing that bothers me — all I see nowadays are maps for MP (aside from here, of course)! Oh yeah, like we haven’t got enough MP maps already! There’s only fifteen billion of them — per game — to download. Zzzzzz…
End.
Sorry Phillip…
andyb & Goddess Alyria I’ve got to admit, you made me LOL literally!
Me too I logged in and saw all of that and laughed pretty hard, but I agree.. it was out of place and not on post… “get a room you two!”..lol
Glad to make you laugh. Was pretty funny even though Daddy Phillip had to scold. 🙁
andyb n” Godess Alyria and also Phillip:
like this guy say in my “temporary website” (click my name), guys. FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN.
^^
I have posted the final results. No real surprises. I wonder if more mappers should make levels with a great exploration element?
I love muah FPS single or mutiplayer but Im getting really annoyed by the type of people that play mutiplayer games , GOD I miss the WON days 🙁
Multiplayer is too chaotic, it’s every one for themselves.. I’ve only been in them as a spectator, same of co-op. Co-op I’ve already commented on so I won’t elaborate except to say. If it is AI you seek, seek co-op. It is far better than any AI I have ever seen
Multiplayer games all freaking feel the same to me. I want SOME sort of story, and I also prefer puzzles. These are the type of things that make a game stand out from others.
I also like being able to make progress within the game, the sense of accomplishment is what I feel makes a game worth playing. With Multiplayer, the best you can do is rank up your statistics, but you make no real progress.
I also like being able to pick up and play at any time of the day or week and not have the quality of my game affected by who else happens to be on at the time. Being able to pause and do something else at a moments notice is nice too.
All of these things add up to multiplayer games having no real appeal to me at all. I’m not knocking multiplayer games though. For those people who don’t place priority on the features I pointed out would likely place having live combatants to fight against or with and never having the exact same scenario each time through to extend the replay value of the individual game almost indefinitely. It’s just not my thing.
I cant answer that because non of them are me.
I prefer the FPS Genre due to
The Tactical Action, and the needed accuracy and perfection required to get a perfect kill.
It’s always been SP’s for me..
Yes but WHY?
When HL1 came out it changed my mind about VG’s.. You’re talking to some one who had PONG growing up..lol..AND Asteroids..Geeese…It seems so long ago… VG’s have come A LONG WAY. Then when the PC finally took root, became as household as a toothpick. I got one..HL came along…Multiplayer hadn’t reared it’s head yet. I guess I prefer SPG’s, especially FPS’ers over MULTI is that it is all I have ever played.
If you want to get into the psychological aspects of it..That may stem from my child hood and hell for all that matters, most my life…. I have had no one to really rely or depend on but myself.. I, to this day, trust few, in fact only two..ONE for sure, the other sort of, I keep the rest pushed away, hard lessons learned, with respects to that. I don’t mind going things alone. I have had to do that since birth practically. As far back as I can remember anyways… You may have caught one or two of my recent comments, on weapons of choice I think, this spilled over into my active adult life until it ended my ability to do it…I was a sniper in SF…When you are out there in the tall grass, THAT is about as alone as you can get.. If some thing goes wrong they don’t come in after you. You are left for dead.. What should have been my end…was only the beginning..This was after a NDE (Near Death Experience) at 16… When I was 19 I enlisted..What is my favorite all time weapon? The Dragunov be it the SVD,NDM-86, Tiger or the PSL. If I had to pick just one, it would be the SVD w/silencer and flash suppression.
When HL1 came out it changed my mind about VG’s.. You’re talking to some one who had PONG growing up..lol..AND Asteroids..Geeese…It seems so long ago… VG’s have come A LONG WAY. Then when the PC finally took root, became as household as a toothpick. I finally got one..HL came along…Multiplayer hadn’t reared it’s head yet. I guess I prefer SPG’s, especially FPS’ers over MULTI is that it is all I have ever played. The very first game I ever played was Diablo, but once I played a FPS I was hooked…It took me back to another place and time……I will be buying “Sniper” very soon.
If you want to get into the psychological aspects of it..That may stem from my child hood and hell for all that matters, most my life….In a family of four, I have had no one to really rely or depend on but myself.. I, to this day, trust few, in fact only two..ONE for sure, the other sort of, I keep the rest pushed away, hard lessons learned. With respects to that? I don’t mind going things alone. I have had to do that since birth practically. As far back as I can remember anyways… You may have caught one or two of my recent comments, on weapons of choice I think, this spilled over into my active adult life until it ended my physical ability to do it…I was a sniper…Far away and long ago…
When you are out there in the tall grass, THAT is about as alone as you can get.. If some thing goes wrong they don’t come in after you. You are left for dead, they know about where you are.. Deep behind the lines..You go in knowing you may not come back and they won’t risk many to rescue one man assuming they could find you, I can still make gillies for ANY occasion, you’d swear I WAS a twig or a leaf or a patch of grass even looking straight at me from 10 feet away…MEGA fun on Halloween lol Nothing scares the lil turdbirds better than a bush that reaches out and grabs you..
What should have been my end…was only the beginning..This was after a NDE (Near Death Experience) at 16… When I was 19 I enlisted..I stayed in for many years to be intentionally vague.
What is my favorite all time weapon? The Russian built Dragunov hands down, be it the SVD,not the NDM-86, Tiger(maybe) or PSL. If I had to pick just one, it would be the SVD w/silencer and flash suppression. The Dragunov SVD is tough, accurate and works flawlessly under very adverse and extreme conditions…. Even with cheap surplus ammunition one can easily pick off a target 1500 meters away…They never see it coming, by the time they hear it? It’s over, job done.
I’m again going to be vague here…an $11K toy now clips the caps off of bottles….Best recent? 1800 meters… took the neck off of an old JD bottle..lol. But be at ease, it mostly collects dust these days, like most of us I pray for peace on a daily basis. I only get it out to stay in form.. Because I know, in the blink of an eye..You CAN find yourself alone in the tall grass with serious problems all around you..lol… Si vis pacem, para bellum…(If you want peace, prepare for war)
WOW I’ve been gabbin up a storm..Probably be the last time you ask me “Why?” …lol I hope not..Sure you don’t want several short comments?..lol..
Aren’t you just thrilled to know that I could sneak up on you so easily?..lol JUST KIDDING!. I’m pretty F kerd up from living a wild life, but with enough morphine?..I’d rather not think about it..If I HAD too, I’ve no doubt I could with no hesitation. Not you, a mark..JUST making that clear…lol
Some one on here talked about loving a “humanoid target” his love of that death rattle..I pray he never have to actually hunt a real one.. Talking about heads popping off, blood spatter and giblets is one thing.. Doing is quite another. What I saw through the scope on my first made me throw up, I did not eat for days…But you harden..and you never forget…even dream about it (nightmares) for the rest of your life.. It does change you…..Forever…….
Didn’t post..PVT me
Tried to repost that today and it says “looks like you already said that” but it doesn’t show up.. I can’t see it anyway.. It’s complex..The why part.. and is there a word limit? It’s long..
planetphillip
31st August 2010
“it’s always been SP’s for me..”
Yes but WHY?
Reply
When HL1 came out it changed my mind about VG’s.. You’re talking to some one who had PONG growing up..lol..AND Asteroids..Geeese…It seems so long ago… VG’s have come A LONG WAY. Then when the PC finally took root, became as household as a toothpick. I finally got one..HL came along…Multiplayer hadn’t reared it’s head yet. I guess I prefer SPG’s, especially FPS’ers over MULTI is that it is all I have ever played. The very first game I ever played was Diablo, but once I played a FPS I was hooked…It took me back to another place and time……I will be buying “Sniper” very soon.
If you want to get into the psychological aspects of it..That may stem from my child hood and hell for all that matters, most my life….In a family of four, I have had no one to really rely or depend on but myself.. I, to this day, trust few, in fact only two..ONE for sure, the other sort of, I keep the rest pushed away, hard lessons learned. With respects to that? I don’t mind going things alone. I have had to do that since birth practically. As far back as I can remember anyways… You may have caught one or two of my recent comments, on weapons of choice I think, this spilled over into my active adult life until it ended my physical ability to do it…I was a sniper…Far away and long ago…
When you are out there in the tall grass, THAT is about as alone as you can get.. If some thing goes wrong they don’t come in after you. You are left for dead, they know about where you are.. Deep behind the lines..You go in knowing you may not come back and they won’t risk many to rescue one man assuming they could find you, I can still make gillies for ANY occasion, you’d swear I WAS a twig or a leaf or a patch of grass even looking straight at me from 10 feet away…MEGA fun on Halloween lol Nothing scares the lil turdbirds better than a bush that reaches out and grabs you..
What should have been my end…was only the beginning..This was after a NDE (Near Death Experience) at 16… When I was 19 I enlisted..I stayed in for many years to be intentionally vague.
What is my favorite all time weapon? The Russian built Dragunov hands down, be it the SVD,not the NDM-86, Tiger(maybe) or PSL. If I had to pick just one, it would be the SVD w/silencer and flash suppression. The Dragunov SVD is tough, accurate and works flawlessly under very adverse and extreme conditions…. Even with cheap surplus ammunition one can easily pick off a target 1500 meters away…They never see it coming, by the time they hear it? It’s over, job done.
I’m again going to be vague here…an $11K toy now clips the caps off of bottles….Best recent? 1800 meters… took the neck off of an old JD bottle..lol. But be at ease, it mostly collects dust these days, like most of us I pray for peace on a daily basis. I only get it out to stay in form.. Because I know, in the blink of an eye..You CAN find yourself alone in the tall grass with serious problems all around you..lol… Si vis pacem, para bellum…(If you want peace, prepare for war)
WOW I’ve been gabbin up a storm..Probably be the last time you ask me “Why?” …lol I hope not..Sure you don’t want several short comments?..lol..
Aren’t you just thrilled to know that I could sneak up on you so easily?..lol JUST KIDDING!. I’m pretty F kerd up from living a wild life, but with enough morphine?..I’d rather not think about it..If I HAD too, I’ve no doubt I could with no hesitation. Not you, a mark..JUST making that clear…lol
Some one on here talked about loving a “humanoid target” his love of that death rattle..I pray he never have to actually hunt a real one.. Talking about heads popping off, blood spatter and giblets is one thing.. Doing is quite another. What I saw through the scope on my first made me throw up, I did not eat for days…But you harden..and you never forget…even dream about it (nightmares) for the rest of your life.. It does change you…..Forever…….