discussion Which game engine do you hate?

[AlBetGam]

You are right. Game dev don't think much about these things. So even if you do have to run to the locations, the dev could reward the players by giving small rewards for going to locations like this. Or you could just create a teleportation mechanic to fix this.

Teleportation mechanics are good (though even those need thought- played a couple games that incude them, but the teleport points are so specific that there's still a lot of running between them).

A lot of times it would help just to make maps smaller- yeah, that broad expanse of farmland looks nice, but around the 10th time the player runs through it they'll really just wish it didn't exist.

Sometimes it's the quest structure that needs reworking- do you really need to go all the way back each time? Can the player just collect the things and take them all back in one trip?

I like the idea of small rewards though. For myself at least a walking-heavy game get less noticeable when the world you're walking through is more rewarding to walk through. If there's new stuff to do, new things happening in the background, indications that this patch of map has changed since last time, etc. the travel becomes less of a chore. But on the other hand that requires a lot more work on the dev's end.

 

[Thorhardt]

Teleportation mechanics are good (though even those need thought- played a couple games that incude them, but the teleport points are so specific that there's still a lot of running between them).

A lot of times it would help just to make maps smaller- yeah, that broad expanse of farmland looks nice, but around the 10th time the player runs through it they'll really just wish it didn't exist.

Sometimes it's the quest structure that needs reworking- do you really need to go all the way back each time? Can the player just collect the things and take them all back in one trip?

I like the idea of small rewards though. For myself at least a walking-heavy game get less noticeable when the world you're walking through is more rewarding to walk through. If there's new stuff to do, new things happening in the background, indications that this patch of map has changed since last time, etc. the travel becomes less of a chore. But on the other hand that requires a lot more work on the dev's end.

For me, the walking isn't an issue. I like a grind of sorts in the games I play. I would like to see RPG mechanics actually be used to upgrade your character, like in an RPG, I would like the story to unfold like in an RPG. But like you said, this takes a lot more effort from the dev than he might be willing to give.

 

[TittyCommittee]

Teleportation mechanics are good (though even those need thought- played a couple games that incude them, but the teleport points are so specific that there's still a lot of running between them).

A lot of times it would help just to make maps smaller- yeah, that broad expanse of farmland looks nice, but around the 10th time the player runs through it they'll really just wish it didn't exist.

Sometimes it's the quest structure that needs reworking- do you really need to go all the way back each time? Can the player just collect the things and take them all back in one trip?

I like the idea of small rewards though. For myself at least a walking-heavy game get less noticeable when the world you're walking through is more rewarding to walk through. If there's new stuff to do, new things happening in the background, indications that this patch of map has changed since last time, etc. the travel becomes less of a chore. But on the other hand that requires a lot more work on the dev's end.

I do agree it does require a lot of work but it is worth it in the end.

 

[Mr.Nobody]

For me personally, it's RPGMaker, whenever they try to use it as a base engine for a visual novel due to the lack of a quick save

 

[blinkssss]

Any of the games where the dev removes most or every option, they're also full of bugs because of it. It looks like Ren'py but I'm not sure what it is.

 

[indipiccalilli]

Not a fan of the Unity games. Much prefer the Ren'py

 

[AlBetGam]

For me, the walking isn't an issue. I like a grind of sorts in the games I play. I would like to see RPG mechanics actually be used to upgrade your character, like in an RPG, I would like the story to unfold like in an RPG. But like you said, this takes a lot more effort from the dev than he might be willing to give.

I can enjoy a bit of grind, but it has to feel like there's a point and it's getting me somewhere. Holding 'Run' for minutes on end for arbitrary or nonsensical reasons doesn't do it for me.

I do agree it does require a lot of work but it is worth it in the end.

High input, high reward. Unfortunately a lot of devs tend to rush to the bottom and shoot for the minimum product people will shell out money for.

 

[ツSisterSexualシ]

There are no good free engines, you have to make it yourself. Rpgm, unity, renpy, ue4 etc all suck and unoptimized garbage for small indie games

 

[Sharpy]

For porn games, Unity. It uses a hell of a lot more resources than Ren'Py for the same visual experience, but no rollback.
For regular games, Unity also. Whenever I play any games made in Unity, my PC almost takes off. Like I'm playing Cyberpunk full details.

 

[_willowned_]

I think the html ones usually are the worst. Rpgmaker is bad as well, however there are a few decent rpgm games out there.

 

[Mr.Nobody]

I think the html ones usually are the worst. Rpgmaker is bad as well, however there are a few decent rpgm games out there.

See, I would've gone with that HTML but they aren't bad, except for the when you have to download it

 

[_willowned_]

See, I would've gone with that HTML but they aren't bad, except for the when you have to download it

I would like to try a good html game, but have yet to find one.

 

[Mr.Nobody]

I would like to try a good html game, but have yet to find one.

From personal experience, the only good ones are ones that don't try to go for long form content, if I want to play an HTML game, it's most likely because I want a quick wank

 

[random6969]

Any 3d engine they usually look like crap and run like shit. So many games look worse than some xbox360 games and run worse with way more powerful hardware.

 

[rube_210]

Every engine has it's purpose, so every engine falls into very-very similar pit falls.
RPGM - looks samey even if you have a more modern setting over a fantasy one those tile sets are just too easy to pass up and the file structure has just so much /bloat/ though the size isn't usually too big the quantity of folders/files makes moving those games around an issue.

Ren'py - seems to be the solid choice if you're going for a pure visual novel anymore. But if you're looking to put minigames or the like in, your hands a tied to pretty much what's already been done but with a new coat of paint down to hot points, timers and flags for stats but even there some creativity can be found. The barely an extra step to get ren'py to run on Linux by adding the other boot file is also a plus.

HTML - The oldest of schools in choice based text adventures. PLUS the implementation of so much variety in media file interspersed in a full page available for text allows ease of access for first time story writers or long time novelists to really put some steam into a project without caring about the 2-4 line limit per page of the previous two. However, there is something inherently low-rent about playing a game in your browser that I can see that puts some people off. Anyone born post Newgrounds probably looks for games outside of their "Email Program"

Unity/Unreal - Are going to be mixed because they both have the same pitfalls in my experience. While both can be built for a Gameplay First approach some of the games that get built on these platforms are either more than the developer was finally able to commit to or where always going to be a snacky shovel-ware bite. So(generally) you end up with not much game for a huge file size. A few exceptions immediately spring to mind but I can't say I have ever loved either engine as a player.

QSP - Holy fuck, it may just be that it's natively russian(?) but there hasn't been a game that though I enjoyed the story or the "simulation" of the game play the second hand poetry of the translation have always kept me a little distracted. Pure MTL Haiku generator action for days. That plus it's not plesant getting flash banged by your game screen for hours on end with the generic white background. But euro-jank or no I always have SOB and Tower on my hardrives somwhere so it must be doing something right.

Adrift - I am not old enough to have any nostalgia for the oldest of school graphic text adventures so there's always a little bit of a learning curve when I pick up one of these games. But again, like HTML a competant writer can get huge milage out of the engine but then it's on the player to attempt to keep track of what is expected of them to MOVE THIS GODDAMNED STORY FORWARD, Seztworks YOU SON OF A BITCH YOUR WALKTHROUGH IS A ONE-TO-ONE WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT FROM A STORY CHAIN PERSPECTIVE HUBJAAasdgktpnjDGFOHUAVSDVOINuroiUARFG[OkjweUWERGQ....

RAGS - Focuses more on the gameplay from a simulation type perspective but it /feels/ like picking up Resident Evil after starting on RE4 if that makes any sense. This is a control scheme that was dropped when improvements where created and nobody needs to ever use tank controls when you have access to even one joystick. Outdated is what I am saying. Nice to have access to the games that were built for the engine like it's nice to have access to the Wayback Archive when it's working properly.

Java - honestly the only game I have ever played in java was Paradise Found, which was absolutely excelent and you should play it(real porn and I know that some of you are against that) But, the game always felt like it was fighting the constraints of the engine, so maybe not even then..

Flash - Again, I remember newgrounds. Many Many people got their start using flash to animate but even modern flash games still run exactly as well as the Toonami tie-in game did and that was launched in 2001.

TADS - Never used it I have no opinion.

TL;DR Whatever engine is being used for the VN that come out of Japan directly. That Visual Novel engine is awful and I hate using it.

 

[Aj2jnnc234]

for me RPGM is not that fun. I mostly choose Renpy

 

[lilmeho]

I'm still seeing shockwave games come out of Japan, it's insane.

I'll take just about anything over shockwave.

 

[na2]

the engine does not mater. simply what the artist does with it matters.

 

[TittyCommittee]

I can enjoy a bit of grind, but it has to feel like there's a point and it's getting me somewhere. Holding 'Run' for minutes on end for arbitrary or nonsensical reasons doesn't do it for me.

High input, high reward. Unfortunately a lot of devs tend to rush to the bottom and shoot for the minimum product people will shell out money for.

Some are lazy but some just want some reward for their hard work.

 

[AlBetGam]

Some are lazy but some just want some reward for their hard work.

No objection to that, it's only right that devs should get supported for quality work.

I'm still seeing shockwave games come out of Japan, it's insane.

I'll take just about anything over shockwave.

Really? What do you have against Shockwave? He's one of the coolest Decepticons.

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