Like most avid gamers, I visit a vast number of gaming websites. One of my favorites is of course Giant Bomb. When I was perusing their site had come across a quick look of the game Miasmata. The reason I bring this up is because first, it is a part of Steam's Green Light Project, but also because it has a very unique concept created by two people.
The game itself has you landed on a mysterious island and a plague is killing millions. You play a scientist in search of a cure. The game has you exploring the island, looking for plants to do dissect and create an antidote to save the world, and yourself. The plot itself is something left to be desired, but this game does a couple of things correctly. First, is the atmosphere. This game truly makes you feel alone and paranoia begins to set in. For the sake of someone that wants to play this game, I will not mention why you will feel paranoid, but the feeling is there. Second is the tactile feel of this game. If you need to open your menu, you select your book, turn the page, and close the book again. You want to drink water? You must take out your canteen, fill it up, drink, and screw the cap back on. The tactile feel itself is quite difficult to explain and is something one should play or at least watch to understand. The third thing it does correctly is mapping.
Now, you probably think I'm crazy. Why the fuck would anyone care about maps. This game, you live and die by your map. Unlike most games where you have a marker to show you where you are on the map, you must triangulate your position using various land marks and pathways. This may sound bizarre, but it is the focal point of this game. And in fact it is the most interesting aspect as well.
This got me thinking. In a world where we have massive games that we have to explore their landscape, why do we have fast travel? Miasmata has no such thing and exploration is vital towards gameplay. Imagine that one would have to actually triangulate their position on a map in the world of Skyrim. For some it may be cumbersome, but for others, it adds that much more to immersion. Sign posts, directions from NPCs, temples, caves, harbors, and towns would be vital to unveiling the map and encourages you to explore even further. I think implementing such a system would add a whole new level to immersion in a fantasy rpg setting.
These are just some of my thoughts and I really suggest you take a look at the quick look of Miasmata if this interests you. I'll keep this post short and sweet and I look forward to your thoughts as well.
-Smi13y out
For the record I walk everywhere in Skyrim well sometimes I ride a horse around. I only wish that the map in Skyrim was better and showed roads and paths better.
ReplyDeleteThere are several mods that show paths and things of the sort. If paths were more apparent, I think I would actually travel on foot more often. However, because fast travel is so convenient, exploration of Skyrim becomes pointless unless you are searching for ingredients.
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