It’s hard for designers not to repeats certain gameplay scenes in single player games. In fact it’s desirable to repeat some types of scenes. Imagine action movies without a car chase (More on that another time)! However, there is a big difference in repeating scenes because they are needed and repeating scenes because designers can’t think of anything else to add.
What gameplay scene has been over used the most in SP maps and mods?
Of course the headcrab answer only relates to Half-Life Universe maps and mods but since those games have the most SP maps and mods available it seemed fair to include it.
I actually don’t mind having headcrabs jump out at me while crawwling through air ducts, in fact I always expect it. What really annoys me is the large stash of health and ammo just before a big boss fight or a very difficult section. This gives me information about the coming level. For some this might add to the anticipation but not for me.
Headcrabs in vents for Half-Life related mods.
I would have to say I hate the arena fights, where you enter an area, the door/gate/whatever behind you closes and then you’re trapped until you defeat the boss. It breaks believability in every instance and I just can’t stand them.
I went other with “randomly stuff exploding for no reason”. I don’t mind exploding stuff if there’s a good reason (E.G. you are in a war), but I’ve seen so many custom maps that just make stuff explode for no apparent reason beyond “we need exploszors!!!111” that I’m sick of it. I guess “collapsing corridors” fits in with this as well (if you add “for no reason” on the end).
The “too much ammo and health in a specific place” appears in mods and even games. For me this is the most over used and annoying thing in map dessign: it gives me indications of whats coming.
I totally agree and already voted for that 😛
it blows unpredictability away and I sometimes choose my break just before that good fight, so the glued to the seat thing is.. gone.
I might add another one: lots of doors that won’t open and appear as if the mapper saw too many walls and decided to get rid of the monotony by adding a few doors here and there.. and I’m supposed to check ALL of them 😐
I just wish there was an “all of the above” option. 0:)
I find many Hl2 SP maps begin in a jail cell, I get a little bored of that!
I think the “starting the game off with shit hitting the fan” has gotten overused a bit. A path opening because enemy is beaten, even though enemy has no noticeable control over that path, or reason to open it for you simply because you beat them, is another rather contrived piece.
There are other things that get overdone sometimes, but I don’t really mind most of the others.
An element that I hate to see in mods is a poorly executed “Wake up in a random room”. That is, maps like Torment, that simply wake the player up with an enormous cache of weapons at his disposal…are simply interested in leading the player through a series of boring combat rooms. Compare that to a map like Small Street, which smartly allows the player to gather weapons and ammo amidst the street war in a well-lit square.
Modding is difficult at best. Sure there is allot of repetition, but designing new stuff? YIKES…Give it a try if this issue bothers you. If you’ve ever been to places like Chechnya some of the buildings are spot on.. Maybe some one should use some US places..New York City, Boston.. LA.. Lots of great skins there.. photo skins.. There must be a way to do that, with rocks and stuff I have noticed that they are photos of actuall rocks.
I am going add some thing else I noticed yesterday..The HUMONGOUS washers, more than one stove/oven in a room or in several rooms. The G mans residence had washing machines all over the place…WTF?… He never wears anything but that stupid blue suit!..lol.. I know nothing off mapping or modding or any of it, so I don’t really know what people who do this are up against, but… always a but.. how hard is it really to create a new appliance? Normal looking washers & dryers.. I have seen photo material used for skins or textures. Seems it should be possible to use this same trick when it comes to furniture, appliances and other things one would find in a normal house or factory…I’m sure it’s just easier to use what’s already made..But there are mods out there that have original things in them I’ve seen nowhere else.. So it can’t be that hard. Maybe it is just time consuming, maybe the modder is just lazy.. I don’t really know.. But there is quite a bit of repetition of “things” in many mods.