Original Post
Partly because of some the comments on a thread about innovation in games, and partly because I think it would be helpful to people. I thought I would start this topic. What in your opinion are ten games every game designer should play? and why? Here's my list in no particular order: 1) Civilization 1 and 3 - PC - By far the best 4x earth based games ever made. Containing just the right amount of micromanagement to allow you develop in the manner you see best but not enough that you are bogged down in details. Well balanced play and a definite sense of progress allow you to easily measure your performance against your opponents. 2) Masters of Orion 2 – PC - The finest example of a 4x game ever released, while it has a different focus then civilization it is defiantly superior in many ways. A tech tree and the freedom to design ships as you see fit allows you to create numerous successful battle strategies. By further allowing the player to customize their race, and expand at their own pace and still achieve one of the various victory conditions make it must play by anyone’s standards. 3) Spellcross – PC- An excellent blend of tactical combat and strategy that falls into the strategy category somewhere between X-Com and Masters of Orion 2. What makes this game particularly interesting is the each game level or area is divided into different territories each representing a separate mission. Each territory once captured produces a set number of resources for a set number of turns, the player then controls how to divide the total resources they receive between cash and research points. Cash is used to by new units, equip units with improvements, and repairing damaged units. This strategy aspect makes from interesting play as it adds a logistical aspect which is lacking most strategy games. 4) Darklands – PC – A great game set in Europe. While it would technically be considered an RPG its nothing like your typical rpg. You create characters by choosing a family background and then deciding which occupation they will pursue over a 5 year interval which determines how many skill points you get, how many points you can place in each skill, and points to certain stats and skills. Certain occupations also provide other bonuses such alchemic formulas. You can have up to character in your party at a time and if one dies you can make another at any town. Equipment has a quality rating which determines how good it is and quality can be reduced when a character is inquired. Add to this complete freedom to explore the game world, random events that allow for different player responses based on what equipment and skills the characters, and no real objective then to gain us much fame as you can. Make it a truly enjoyable experience. 5) Persona 2 eternal punishment – PS1 – An excellent rpg that bares the unique status of one of the few rpgs set in the present day. One of truly interesting aspects of this game is the ability to converse with enemies and convince them to provide you with some kind of aid rather then just killing makes for an excellent change of pace. Has an interesting story as well surrounding rumors become true, which the player can use to create various in game changes. 6) Quest for glory 1-4 – PC - These enjoyable games are an excellent blend of adventure, rpg, and humor. With 3 different character types each possessing there own path through the game and methods for overcoming obstacles, make a lot more then you standard adventure game or rpg. Add to this the fact that you can bring your character along from one game into the next and you have one of the most enjoyable game series ever made. 7) Final Fantasy IX - PS1 – This particular installment of final fantasy franchise had a number of interesting and noteworthy features. First was the pure the nostalgia factor the moment you first see the cute little Black mage it brings you back to long past days you spent playing the original final fantasy game, with several other reference to the original game throughout it makes for a really nice touch for any long time fan. Numerous story related mini games it makes for good break for the normal repetition of things when the game enters one of the many little mini games, this was a nice feature that was sorely underused within the game, it could have benefited greatly from a larger number of these non repetitive mini games. Another feature that should be common place in rpgs was an attention bubble that appear over the characters head when they where near object they could interact with, whether it was a chest to open, a hidden switch, or secret item. That is defiantly one feature I would like to see used more often I don’t like the idea of missing things in a game because I didn’t spend the time pressing the interact button in front of everything. 8) Tekken 3, 4 and tag – PS1 and PS2 -The Tekken series is an excellent series of games that does it job very well. It has easy to use controls, intuitive moves, plus a larger variety of different characters, and moves to learn and use. All and all it is well balanced game, with no obvious flaws and is good place to look if you want to see what a well polished game should look like. 9) Counter strike – PC - What makes counter strike such a successful is fps even after all these years has to be it faced paced player vs player game play coupled with the frustration of waiting for the next round to start before you can start playing again. It keeps people playing again and again hour after hour, despite the various other similar games that technically superior people continue to play counter strike. 10) Fallout 2 – PC – An excellent rpg in every sense of term. That combines an interesting story and setting to explore, with an excellent set of game mechanics to explore it with. A character system that allows the player design a character to fit any role they choose and a game design that accommodates the place style of nearly any kind of character the player chooses to make, show just how you should go about designing a nonlinear rpg.
