Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Context Matters...

In computer games, I can only imagine one thing that matters more (but that's a post for another day). In particular, the context wherein struggle ensues is of paramount importance. No matter how detailed and elaborate a game's portrayal of conflict may be, if one has no reason to care why that conflict transpires... well, one can probably find more engaging things to do with one's time in front of a computer.

Consider Sid Meier's Civilization II. Here we have the simplest combat system invented since risk, maybe? Oh, but I cared when my millennia-old phalanx unit somehow managed to fend off the unwelcome advances of that... wow... OK. Has it been that long since I played it? And I still recall those days with fondness - I got to build my own context for that half-remembered struggle, and so many others like it.

X-Com: UFO Defense -  If context is king, then this classic may be the king of kings in strategy gaming. It is one of myriad choices, decisions and persistence - from soldiers and all of their gear to what missions to take them on. I can proudly say that in my games... I never left a man behind - I'd replay a combat as many times as I needed to survive.

Master of Orion II boasts one of its genre's most interesting examples of tactical combat. Sadly, it left me feeling like it was "almost" good, but I still loved the battles. Not because of the graphics, or even the gameplay mechanics... rather these battles derived their importance from the context - often that of a galactic empire's fall or a young race's survival. Oh... there's some persistence again... and let's not forget the countless choices in this game's play, including customizing your race and ships in a MEANINGFUL way.

Storyline Doesn't...

Fallout Tactics was one of my absolute favorite games on the tactical level, but it got old quite quickly. With few, if any, decisions to be made above the tactical scope this game was tied together solely on the persistence of your team's characters. The linear story, the meaningless freedom of the strategic movement and CTD bugs that made ironman-mode an exercise in masochistic futility - these killed what could have been my favorite game of all time.

Phantasie on the Commodore-64 deserves special mention here... it had a generic and completely predictable storyline (I'm being generous here, really), but my fondest CRPG memories come from this and the Magic Candle series (where the story left a much better impression).

Roguelikes - google it.

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