> I'm *not* saying these are bad games or anything, and I'm not trying
> to pick on the authors... I just don't like these scenes.
Good examples, but I think I'll dispute de gustibus, as it were. And
ditto on the disclaimer.
> SPOILERS for Veritas, Fire Witch and WayStation.
> >south
> You tumble over the railing of the stairwell and plummet four stories,
> landing with a thud on the cold, hard marble floor. You have broken
> your neck in several places.
> ***** You're toast, pal! *****
Characteristics: no warning; instant death on a command which is very
common (moving in the wrong direction, or checking for exits); the death
has nothing to do with the plot, or the theme, or realism. (I mean, it's
realistic that falling four stories is fatal, but if I step towards a
balcony I'll stop and say "oops", not march lemminglike to my doom.)
I agree that this is very tacky. The author may have figured that since
it's near the beginning, the player can restart easily. But I often
screw up my internal map and move the wrong direction, even late in a
game.
> There is something that you can't put your finger on about the archway
> that bothers you.
> >west
> As you are moving through the archway, you hear a sound much like that
> of breaking glass, and you suddenly become very disoriented. When you
> regain your senses a moment later, you are not where you thought you
> would be.
[and you die shortly thereafter]
Ambiguous warning; instant doom (and rapid death) when walking through a
door. Not having played Fire Witch, I can't tell if it's related to the
plot. I think that would make a difference. If it's an arbitrary
door-of-doom, no explanation, it's tacky; if it's a logical part of the
environment, I probably wouldn't object. Were I the author, I might
remove the "bothers you" warning and put in an active warning:
> west
You step towards the door, and jerk back in startlement as a tingling
sensation brushes over your skin. Are you sure you want to continue?
But then, if I put that in, I'd probably put in a non-fatal teleport
door elsewhere in the game, with the same tingling sensation and
warning. Come to think of it, does that warning occur earlier in Fire
Witch?
Anyway, this is all within the variance of personal taste.
> >look
> Building Entrance
> You are standing in what appears to be the entrance to this
> building. To the south is an open door; sunlight streams through it.
> You can sometimes see a glittering strand of some sort across the
> entrance. A hallway continues north. To the west is a small doorway.
> >examine strand
> You squint, trying to bring the glittering into sharper focus. After a
> moment, you notice that the glitter is coming from dust motes
> reflecting several red beams.
Specific and recognizable warning; instant death when walking through a
door; apparently a logical part of the plot. (I assume the building is
one that would have heavy security. If it's an outhouse, forget it.)
I think this is quite reasonable. If you've ever seen a laser, you
should recognize it. If you don't, well, you should die and feel stupid.
If you've never seen a laser, well, now you know what it looks like; be
glad you didn't make the mistake in real life. (What does the game do if
you type "touch thread"? There's another opportunity for a warning, and
the player really should be checking such things.)
Mmf. End opinion list. And I gotta play some of these games.
--Z
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."