   Lately I've found myself looking at games differently...
  It's weird. When I was young, I'd play pretty much anything, and had fun with it. As I got older, I started to notice the various problems with certain games, and often found myself complaining over how some developer/publisher did this wrong or did that wrong.Now that I've started to really get into the programming/design side of things, I've found myself to be more sympathetic to developers and what they go through, especially when it's licensed products.I even found myself watching gameplay videos differently. Take the numerous 'Let's Play' videos found around the net. I find myself studying them closely (mainly older games), rather than simply watching for entertainment purposes.The one thing that hasn't changed, is my constant search for invisible walls. I still wonder why someone would make such an open space, and not let you explore it.So, do any of you feel this way at all?   
  Actually dude, i feel exactly like that.   Game playing for me now is all a study in design.  It's like any field of study; once you become a student of  film, you can't watch movies the same way any more.   ;  Not weird. I do the same all the time.Now I rarely play, but the first time I see a new game it is "testing time!".Let's see how it does collisions, if I get stuck, gui design, if it handles sorting of alpha correctly, options, frame rate and so on...It's weird when you are playing a fighting game and then think "yes it's fun but that particle system over there got stuck in a loop" :)But there is people like that in the movies industry too. And going to see something with them can be a real pain. "Hey did you see they got lighting bad there!?""There is a green halo on the hair of the hero!! This scene is all green screen!"   ;Quote:Original post by SlateboardThe one thing that hasn't changed, is my constant search for invisible walls. I still wonder why someone would make such an open space, and not let you explore it.This is something I always hated. Running into an invisible barrier really breaks the suspension of disbelief. I remember when Revolution were working on Beneath a Steel Sky there was a screen that showed half a courtyard but when you tried to go to the other half you couldn't. The reason given for this was "because". I made them put in a fence so that it was logical that you couldn't proceed. I think that when you create a world it is good to try and make it seem larger than it really is. Being able to see out of windows or see distant mountains make the world seem more impressive. However it is necessary to come up with a logical reason when the player can't get there, rather than just having them run into an invisible wall or just "because".   ;  I think if you completely lose the senseless fun from games, you're worse off than before.  I too, look at games differently, but every once in a while I just have dumb fun with no regard to how anything is done or handled :)   ;  I had the chance to play Starcraft 2 last night. And I was like: -This is really cool but I have better things to do with my life...I AM OLD.   ;  Nice to know I'm not alone. What's sad is that the entire statement is the truth. Whenever my younger brother and I play some sort of game together, I tend to point out the problemed collisions, oddly-inward hitboxes, and for the heck of it, try to notice the low-poly parts in a high-definition game.Wouldn't part of the Indie category be to not make the mistakes of past developers with gameplay and story-based issues?The whole study of video game development is really changing my life in almost every aspect. Would that be a bad thing?   ;Quote:Original post by CosineWouldn't part of the Indie category be to not make the mistakes of past developers with gameplay and story-based issues?You are assuming that these problems are all caused by mistakes. Some are imposed by technical limitations or the fact that the developers budget simply doesn't allow them to do everything they want 100% perfectly. Also indies are more limited (financially) than the more commercially successful developers so would be harder pressed to make a perfect game.   ;  I was always under the impression that if the Indie developers had any advantage, it'd be fewer constraints due to them not working for a big publisher looking for a holiday release, or dealing with a licensed product.I suppose that's not really the case.   ;Quote:Original post by SlateboardI was always under the impression that if the Indie developers had any advantage, it'd be fewer constraints due to them not working for a big publisher looking for a holiday release, or dealing with a licensed product.I always thought the same thing too.  I have some questions for you though Obscure, that is if you wouldn't mind answering them.  What exactly were you referring to when you said, "technical limitations"?  Also, I know money goes into paying those who want to be payed for working on a game, as well as into software they are using to make it.  But what about those who don't mind working for free or small amounts of money?  And what if the developers use freeware programs to make a game?  What excuses are then left for the indie team not to turn out a "perfect" product?  Other than time and the amount of people you have working on the game?  Is there something else I'm not aware of?  Just to be clear, I am aware dependencies do come into play for all things.   