#120180 - 02/14/06 01:43 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Adept Boomer
Registered: 11/01/99
Posts: 10323
|
To use your analogy, I may go look in action for a fast paced adventure, But I wouldn't look for comedy, science-fiction, drama, family or romance in mystery-suspense. Any book regardless of topic (if it is fictional) involves reading through to the end to discover what the whole story means and how it ends. The fact that that ending IS a mystery to the reader at the beginning of the book, doesn't mean the story is in that category. If a game is truly story and/or character driven. The ending will almost always be at least somewhat obscure until you work your way though the game and possibly up to the very end. I wouldn't categorize the Monkey Island games, DOTT, Sam n Max or Ankh as mystery/suspense games. Nor would I categorize the Legend of Lotus Spring or Pilgrim as mystery/suspence either. And though Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is mysterious in parts - no would think of anything with Indie in it -- as anything less than pure adventure. 
_________________________
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120181 - 02/14/06 03:16 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Grand wizard of high mucky muck
Adept Boomer
Registered: 01/08/02
Posts: 13453
Loc: Texas
|
That's an interesting thought, Bryan. Especially when I think about a lot of the newer games : Black Mirror, Nibiru, The Moment of Silence, Still Life, Indigo Prophecy, the Delawares  , Hope Springs Eternal, Last Half of Darkness...
_________________________
"How could drops of water know themselves to be a river? Yet the river flows on." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120182 - 02/14/06 04:12 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
BAAG Specialist
Registered: 01/11/04
Posts: 5041
Loc: Bay Area, CA
|
I agree with Gatorlaw. Mystery/Suspense is too specific a category to put most adventure games in. A lot of them are mystery/suspense but a lot of them aren't and would have to be classified as adventure, imo.
It would be nice to be able to find the specific category mystery/suspense though. Tha games Nickie mentioned would all fit nicely.
I definitely agree that the term 'adventure games' is really applied to a wide variety of games though, some totally different than others, Bryan. Subcategories would be nice.
Melanie
_________________________
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120183 - 02/14/06 06:13 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Adept Boomer
Registered: 11/01/99
Posts: 10323
|
Subcategories would be nice.
Good point. Reminded me of this online store that does have that available. CD Access What does make sense is a qualifier after the term adventure... like Puzzle, Mystery/Murder, sci-fi, Fantasy, Comedy
_________________________
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120184 - 02/14/06 06:48 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Addicted Boomer
Registered: 11/06/00
Posts: 1545
Loc: Piney Woods of East Texas
|
How about one of those gauge bars (don't know what they are called) like a thermometer that has a spectrum with a Myst-type on the left to a shooter on the right with maybe 3 points between. Games today DO have a great variety of action to adventure levels compared to 10 years ago and, like Melanie says, we could use subcategories to help with our selections.
_________________________
"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." ...unknown
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120185 - 02/14/06 07:24 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
BAAG Specialist
Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 7858
Loc: North Florida
|
Right now, the whole subject's a mystery to me. Never did understand all the categories, what with the seeming (as I see it) sometimes overlapping in definitions.
_________________________
I didn't do it......and if I did I'm not guilty!
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120187 - 02/14/06 11:02 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Addicted Boomer
Registered: 11/16/04
Posts: 1122
Loc: NE of Packerland, WI
|
For those confused, its best to hear what your Boomer Buddies have to say about a game. I agree BillyBob: Unless the game is part of a series (Nancy Drew, Syberia, etc) I usually wait for it to come out before buying it. Then I wait for posts to show up in the other Forums: Reviews, Hints, Adventure Game Discussion, and especially Glitches. Then I know if it has much action in it or players have a lot of problems with the technical aspect of the game. I also agree that the category for Adventure is often linked with Action. If I go to Best Buy it's not unusual to see a game like ATTWN next to Baldur's Gate. Seems as though we've been complaining about this for a while especially when the Best Of lists come out at the end of the year. tuesday next
_________________________
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogroves, and the mome raths outgrabe.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120188 - 02/14/06 11:13 AM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Addicted Boomer
Registered: 10/23/03
Posts: 3506
Loc: hunched over my computer
|
I think part of the reason so many games seem to be part of the mystery sub-genre is that a mystery lends itself very easily to many adventure game elements: picking up clues, uncovering the true story, solving puzzles, etc. A mystery is one of the easiest stories to plot, because you have a very clear idea of where you need to go and of many of the things you need to do to get there. But I certainly agree with gatorlaw: in some respects, all stories could be considered mysteries: the mystery of "what's going on here?" Of course, by that some token all stories could be considered fantasy, because someone made them up.
Many of the games nickie mentioned I wouldn't really consider mystery, but horror. I actually think horror lends itself really, really well to games.
I like joanie's idea of an action/adventure guage bar...but I think you'd have a hard time getting anyone to agree what went where on the spectrum!
WW
_________________________
"So then he says it's enough to take aim! What's that supposed to mean?!?"
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120190 - 02/14/06 01:53 PM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Sonic Boomer
Registered: 11/21/00
Posts: 27966
Loc: United Kingdom
|
Hi I've totally given up as regards definitions of adventue games to be found within ANY advertising blurb "Modern" games deemed as adventure seem to me often to be vastly different in many ways to "older" games that were called adventure  I come to Boomers and read comments from actual players. Cheers. Mad 
_________________________
Time : The Most Precious Commodity
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120191 - 02/14/06 05:30 PM
Re: What's in a name?
|
True Blue Boomer
Registered: 07/10/05
Posts: 23997
Loc: UK
|
I agree that the whole adventure genre is wide enough to entirely confuse and bewilder one who is new to this type of game. Sub-categories are a good idea, I think - particularly if there is insufficient main game info on the back of the box.
_________________________
"Bleat, Watson -- unmitigated bleat!" ~ Sherlock Holmes
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120192 - 02/14/06 06:37 PM
Re: What's in a name?
|
BAAG Specialist
Registered: 01/11/04
Posts: 5041
Loc: Bay Area, CA
|
Originally posted by wysewomon: Many of the games nickie mentioned I wouldn't really consider mystery, but horror. I actually think horror lends itself really, really well to games. WW True, WW. One more category. Melanie
_________________________
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#120193 - 02/14/06 07:13 PM
Re: What's in a name?
|
Settled Boomer
Registered: 06/27/05
Posts: 214
Loc: Fort Lauderdale, FL
|
Originally posted by Melanie1: Subcategories would be nice.
Melanie I agree, so many games, like movies, could be crossover. It would be nice to see a format where primary genre can be complimented with a secondary genre. Adventure, Action or Adventure, Mystery or perhaps Adventure, Action. This would help clarify games' contents outright. -Bryan
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|