More incentive talk

by kapowaz, Thursday, July 11, 2013, 23:49 (3944 days ago) @ Cody Miller

I think it's bullshit that features and aspects of the game get introduced as time goes on

Why?

(for instance, grenades not being available in normal or easy in Halo until you reach the end of PoA where the game 'trains' you to throw them

Why? How does this negatively affect gameplay?

or Portal where you don't get the dual portal gun right away).

Why? What are the negative implications of learning how to use the portal gun in this (very briefly) limited manner?

Ideally all that should be available to the player from the start (with exceptions, see MegaMan)

Why does MegaMan get a pass?

but the difficulty of the game should be what ramps up accordingly. As the game gets harder, the player has to figure out how to use all these techniques to win.

If you're making a flight sim, then I agree. But games are an entertainment medium, and as such are meant to be fun (and to most players, not just the tiny percentage of savants who are willing to persist with them until they get it right).

That's how it used to be done

…by unforgiving, arcade-inspired games that were unapproachable to the majority of gamers. I would argue that you are using your personal preference as justification for arguing that all games should be made this way, in spite of the fact a.) most people wouldn't enjoy them, and b.) they'd be commercial failures.