Actually, that whole concept of videogames becoming both more and more realistic about rendering violence without talking about the impact of such a thing is being addressed in a videogame called Haze.
I plan on getting ahold of bioshock when I get a chance, but I am a little disappointed with how they handle the 'moral ambiguity' of killing children. There really is no punishment for killing the Little Sisters outside of getting the bad ending, and that does make me a little sad. I mostly look forward to playing it because it looks like a fun shooty game that hits upon certain gameplay mechanics that I rather like.
I do think that it's a good example of something that was too overhyped for it's own good. I see a trend in games to make the AI more complex and more intelligent in an animalistic manner, but I don't see nearly enough focus on the human element of that AI.
I'm not talking about guards in every city knowing that your neat suit or armor is stolen, or that people in town know you are a big hero. I'm talking about your choices as a player actually shaping your place in the world.
For example, a lot of RPGs give you more dialogue choices due to your intelligence, but how many of those filter those choices through your previous choices. If you make your character lie, wouldn't it make sense that the more honest answers would slowly get weeded out?
Frankly, for all the advances in AI and graphics, I haven't seen any improvements in this area since Baulder's Gate came out like 10 years ago.
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Date: 2007-09-05 08:33 am (UTC)I plan on getting ahold of bioshock when I get a chance, but I am a little disappointed with how they handle the 'moral ambiguity' of killing children. There really is no punishment for killing the Little Sisters outside of getting the bad ending, and that does make me a little sad. I mostly look forward to playing it because it looks like a fun shooty game that hits upon certain gameplay mechanics that I rather like.
I do think that it's a good example of something that was too overhyped for it's own good. I see a trend in games to make the AI more complex and more intelligent in an animalistic manner, but I don't see nearly enough focus on the human element of that AI.
I'm not talking about guards in every city knowing that your neat suit or armor is stolen, or that people in town know you are a big hero. I'm talking about your choices as a player actually shaping your place in the world.
For example, a lot of RPGs give you more dialogue choices due to your intelligence, but how many of those filter those choices through your previous choices. If you make your character lie, wouldn't it make sense that the more honest answers would slowly get weeded out?
Frankly, for all the advances in AI and graphics, I haven't seen any improvements in this area since Baulder's Gate came out like 10 years ago.