is immersion important for you?

[gurugeorge]

immersion doesn't exist if you're allowed to control more than one character

As NJClaw says, that's not quite right, immersion is more to do with the virtual world rather than any virtual character in that virtual world. So it can either be one character, or be any number of characters, or even be a floating objective viewer - so long as one feels like one is there in that virtual (counterfactual) world, and one forgets for a while that one is a poor schlub sitting at a desk in a dingy city, one is immersed in the relevant sense.

It's just like being carried away by a novel - one needn't necesssarily identify with any particular character (though one can do that too), but rather one is, as it were, floating about etherially in the virtual world depicted in the novel that's vaguely being imaged in one's mind's eye.

One particularly strong moment of immersion I had was in a costume competition in Champions Online. It was just after the thing was done, and people were milling around showing off their superhero finery and powers, and I was zoomed in quite close to the action, third person, and all of a sudden some guy next to me teleported from one spot to another, and he had a really zany-looking cozzie that really expressed a teleportation ability. Just for a fraction of a second, it felt really real, in the way that a "magic eye" 3-d object suddenly "pops." I wasn't particularly identified with my character at that moment but I was "in" that virtual space. A trick of the mind.

That's a particularly striking example, but I'm sure we've all had moments like that in videogames. For example, as shitty a game as Oblivion was (without mods), there were moments of cresting a hill on one's horse, suddenly seeing a beautiful sunset, when one felt a strong sense of "being there" - I'm sure we've all experienced that with one of those types of games.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

nah

 

[Momock]

immersion doesn't exist if you're allowed to control more than one character

Maybe, but you can find ways to mitigate the fealing of controling "puppets", giving them some character, orders they like or not, obey or not, etc, to make it more immersive. And the alternatives for controling the party are probably more immersion-breaking than controling the party (cursing the dumb AI is a good way to get kicked out of the experience). The feeling of loss is also stronger when you lose control of a character you used to play (because he leaves, betrays or whatever), so it's more immersive when it happens.

 

[gurugeorge]

nah

nah you disagree that that's what immersion is or nah you've never felt that sort of thing in a videogame?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

nah

nah you disagree that that's what immersion is or nah you've never felt that sort of thing in a videogame?

nah I'm not reading that.

 

[Twiglard]

Maybe, but you can find ways to mitigate the fealing of controling "puppets", giving them some character, orders they like or not, obey or not

Game AI is bad as it is, making it not listen to you is even worse.

 

[Whiny-Butthurt-Liberal]

If by immersion you mean "atmosphere", then yes, I prefer games that have a unique feel to them, that you can palpably recall decades after you've last played them.

However, anyone who sets out to make a game that has atmosphere is doomed to failure. It cannot be achieved by pursuing it directly. It can only happen as a byproduct of achieving several other goals instead.

Usually, this results from genuine creativity behind the project, and investment in philosophical underpinnings, music score, writing, style, etc.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Maybe, but you can find ways to mitigate the fealing of controling "puppets", giving them some character, orders they like or not, obey or not

Game AI is bad as it is, making it not listen to you is even worse.

AI that does whatever you demand of it is soulless

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Immersion is just what you described. The devs are retarded as they confuse authenticity with immersion. Authenticity is what a good dev adds to increase immersion, as unauthentic elements like someone carrying 15 rocket launchers in his pockets breaks immersion.

If I wanted immersion I wouldn't play video games where you carry around several platemails and miniguns in your hammerspace all day long :D

Those don't bother me much regarding immersion, I'm used to think of those as conventions. Sometimes games have the opposite effect than intended when they limit your inventory too much because I keep thinking that I could carry more than my posh character.

 

[Sweeper]

..But this is EXACTLY the point and difference between our type of player and your type of player......... We're selective about the kinds of drivel we accept from some retard, whereas you aren't even aware that there is a difference and don't care as long as you can shoot something in the face.

Tell me.. what is considered more important in our society, our broad history of magnificent fiction.. or instruction manuals?

Ah yes, the never ending competition between beauty and utility. The answer is instruction manuals of course.
You owe far more to the humble engineer, garbageman and plumber than Dostoyevsky or Melville.
In the same way you should value gameplay design over shitty vidya writing.

 

[Risewild]

I have no idea what immersion is.

Last time I tried to learn what immersion is, it was almost as easy as knowing what a RPG is. It also ended with a lot of idiots screaming "muh immurshun!".

 

[eXalted]

The proper way to immerse yourself:

Spoiler

 

[DraQ]

Immersion is paramount.
It's only unimportant if the game is completely (or almost completely, but even then it helps if present) abstract.

Spoiler

First person/real time has actually fairly negligible (if still positive) impact on immersion.

 

[Momock]

Maybe, but you can find ways to mitigate the fealing of controling "puppets", giving them some character, orders they like or not, obey or not

Game AI is bad as it is, making it not listen to you is even worse.

Game AI? What game AI? I don't want "game AI" to play the party characters, haven't you read my post?

If it wasn't clear: give me turn based combat (and stealth, hacking, arguing... whatever. Everything turn based) and full control of the party, but also maaaybe, if you feel like it's worth the effort (because it is the kind of game where it fits thematicaly, or you're trying to be simulationist), some conditions/thresholds for certains commands. Like in Jagged Aliance 2, where certain characters won't shoot certain people, will prefer burst over careful aiming, things like that. Nothing craaaaaazy. Just enough to feel their not robots.

 

[Lilura]

I favor combat-based immersion. I like prolonged battles: concentration = immersion.

See Silent Storm and X-COM Apocalypse, where battles can go on for upwards of an hour. To a lesser but still notable extent, ToEE and JA2.

Most RPGs are about theme park immersion.

 

[octavius]

Immersion can give you some real eureka moments.

 

[Gregz]

Immersion is very simple guys, it's the degree to which you are unable to be distracted when gaming. When 5 hours pass and it feels like 5 minutes? That's immersion.

 

[TemplarGR]

Why move this to general gaming?

 

[Risewild]

Immersion is very simple guys, it's the degree to which you are unable to be distracted when gaming. When 5 hours passes and it feels like 5 minutes? That's immersion.

I call that having fun.

Isn't there a gaming genre now called immersive *insert any other gaming type here*. Like immersive sim, immersive shooter,etc.? I never have fun playing those, but they are supposed to be immersive, right?

 

[Gregz]

Immersion is very simple guys, it's the degree to which you are unable to be distracted when gaming. When 5 hours passes and it feels like 5 minutes? That's immersion.

I call that having fun.

It's the exact same thing.

 

[Gregz]

Immersion is very simple guys, it's the degree to which you are unable to be distracted when gaming. When 5 hours passes and it feels like 5 minutes? That's immersion.

Isn't there a gaming genre now called immersive *insert any other gaming type here*. Like immersive sim, immersive shooter,etc.? I never have fun playing those, but they are supposed to be immersive, right?

Any retard can misuse language, being publishers doesn't make them any less retarded.

 

[DraQ]

But maybe I'm confusing immersion with suspension of disbelief, I don't know.

Is there any meaningful distinction between the two?

 

[Apostle Hand]

If I found game enjoyable to play, it's immersive to me

 

[DraQ]

If I found game enjoyable to play, it's immersive to me

It's a nice thing that we have tags.

 

[spectre]

I actually asked a specialist about it, turns out, Immersion isn't important. Just a little bit of sprinkling will do, as long as the Holy Spirit gets to descent and the rest of the ritual is observed.

Sorry, misread the thread, turns out it's not about methods of baptism. Carry on.