User talk:The one behind the pillar

This the user talk page for The one behind the pillar (talk) 15:04, 9 February 2016 (UTC)

Assignment 1
What I really like at the moment is a game called Until Dawn. It's a very recent game for the PS4 and it's visually stunning and highly realistic which only adds to the gameplay. It's quite different and unusual though as its premises is not the normal linear gameplay that there is one character to play, one way to do things and that you must do it that way. But instead, it's more along the lines that you have to make decisions on the spot, much like you would in real life, and those choices you make shape how the game turns out. It plays very much on the concept of the butterfly effect of how one small choice can have huge and dire consequences. Throughout the game, the characters, which you play more than one, discover different totems that reveal a glimpse into the future and are related to different things such as danger or fortune. However, the outcomes may or may not come true depending on the choices the player makes and the butterfly effect. The choices do range from choosing to run or hide, keeping the flare gun for yourself or giving it to someone else and all the way to save someone or save yourself. These choices, even small, can relate in the character's death if the player is not careful. When each character is introduced to the player they are shown their name, a few key descriptive words about them, their relation to other characters and their personal traits. The player can then 'take on' this online identity in a way as they become these characters and play how they would instead of themselves. This idea can refer to the week 3 lecture of how the players are taking on a persona in a way and becoming that character, enveloped by the choices they think that character would make and therefore how they become someone else and slip into another persona. This idea is backed up by The Fine brothers React channel as they had adults and teens play the game and they said they wanted to play as that character would and do exactly what they would do with the choices presented. Not necessarily how they themselves would play. This persona does have its advantage as by the player knowing the limitations of the characters can play to their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses and ultimately surviving. Until Dawn is similar to some Telltale games such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and The Wolf Among Us which also revolve around the idea of tailoring the game play to the choices the player makes. In the Telltale games these choices are again not light as in The Walking Dead you might have to choice between two characters by saving one and letting the other die, all against a timer running your decision time down and forcing you to pick quickly much like you would do in real life. But the choices might not always be as extreme because in most cases the choice is what the main character, that you mainly stay as but depends on the game, says to the other characters and this can either build strong friendships or create enemies. But it's up to the player to decide how they want to play it. These type of games are interesting to me as I have watched various gamers, such as ZackScottGames and PewDiePie, play them and when making their choice they profusely justify to the viewer why they made the choices they did. That maybe one character had their back earlier or that they don't trust the other one or that they simply don't think they are strong enough to survive. The very idea of the player documenting their gaming experience for others could link to idea of documenting their life in a certain manner. That can be debated, but I find the videos quite an insight into the mind of the player as to what their process is before potentially choosing the end a character's life. The Telltale games also at the end of each episode give percentages of what players did in terms of their choices, so they can see what the majority did and if they are either in it or the minority. I quite like how they do this as it adds a sense of community to the players as it shows they've all been through the same thing and had to face the exact same choices and that they aren't alone in what they chose. It also makes the player more aware of their choices and to the fact they can cause someone to potentially die due to them if they were poor. Overall I think these type of games are very interesting in a way of analysing the player's choices, but also bring a lot to the gaming world.

This is the user of The one behind the pillar (talk) 01:09, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

References: Until Dawn - https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/until-dawn-ps4/ Fine Bros React Channel on Until Dawn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ2A5kxcZv8 Telltale Games website - https://www.telltalegames.com ZackScottGames - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZjlerl1xCY&list=PL1FD7A92CAD63D97B PewDiePie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcnQmw9M-JA&list=PLYH8WvNV1YEmuUM8tmQ2BJx3Uq9QzSivx

Comments
I love this conversation about Until Dawn. I've never played the game myself, but I've heard a lot of amazing things about it. I know the gaming channel Achievement Hunter did a 'Let's Play' of it. It's not an easy game! I really enjoyed your comment about how the game fits in with Week Three of the lecture, where you adopt a persona and wear it while you play the game. It's fascinating how easily you can connect with the characters in the game and for a moment, you really think and make decisions as they would do. I love the Telltale game's percentages too, that you pointed out. A lot of the time I end up making decisions that are in the minority, which makes you wonder why so many other people thought the other way. It's a strange look into the collective mind of the internet community (or at least, the community that plays games like the Telltale ones). Those games really show people's mentalities and the effort online gamers (like PewDiePie or ZackScott or Achievement Hunter) put in to attempt to justify their decisions. The technology becomes a vivid medium to explore someone's reasoning for such a dark situation. Hfk667 (talk) 14:23, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

I found this to be a very interesting read. Although I don't have the game myself, I have watched the episode of it being played from Fine Bros like you mentioned. I have wanted to play the game for a long time now as, like with many others, having the responsibility of how a game pans out makes the experience all the more intense. To be able to control the life of another (even if they are on a screen) can make even the most docile of nature a little bit power hungry. I was shocked on the Fine Bros video when a group of normal teenagers made the decision to shoot a squirrel for no reason (I know it's not real but still). I did not know that PewDiePie (I am a fan) had reviewed the game and I intent to watch it after this comment. 'Until Dawn' is on my wishlist to play and this article has made me want to buy it right now. I agree with you about players wanting to justify themselves both on and offline- it's funny how some people react when their choices are questioned. NoRagrets9 (talk) 15:45, 10 February 2016 (UTC)