how to make a game fun?

Posted by Picc84 on July 26, 2008, 1:56 a.m.

When you have a great concept, something that could be amazingly fun, and have a great playing value. But how would you make it fun exactly? I mean, you have a concept, and it sounds great, but would it work practically so to speak?

So here's the deal, I have this great idea about making a semi-realistic firefighting game (don't worry, I do it in real life, Im not like "omg imma firefighter, i pee on fire's!") but yeah, but what I think of being fun, would be as realistic as it gets, but many will not, because its very limited. So im going to expand it to allow you to do whatever you want, but Im worried about the actual Fighting of the Fire to be boaring… and im looking for some ideas…

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Another idea going through my head as I post this blog. What has been the longest point in time you had worked on a game? Was it worth it? did you ever get so mad at it, you just gave up on it, leaving a few months of work to collect dust in a folder on your desktop? This has been going through my head, as I have never spent more than a month on a game!

Comments

SquareWheel 16 years, 5 months ago

Many of GM users are notorious for quitting games because of a simple problem they can't fix, or they just lose motivation.

A firefighting game does sound a tad boring. Try adding different gameplay elements, such as fighting the fire from outside the house (maybe having a limited supply of water), having to run into a house to rescue certain items of value (or people, you could always save people while in there =p), or even driving the fire truck.

Tasm 16 years, 5 months ago

try interweaving some sort of criminal background for the main character, and have ex-gangmates of his try to kill him from time to time to break up the monotony.

/joke

F1ak3r 16 years, 5 months ago

I once worked on a game for 2.5 years. Then I got sick of it and scrapped it. Yeah. My attention span is too long. Anything I've finished has only been worked on for a few months though.

raz 16 years, 5 months ago

Im working on Dimension Five, I have been working on it for 1 year now, and Im not bored of it yet.

Bryan 16 years, 5 months ago

Worked on adrenaline for quite some time now. :)

Theodore III 16 years, 5 months ago

Ive worked on and off on Entity for over 2 years.

Mostly off.

flashback 16 years, 5 months ago

I worked on Scoperta Solare for two years, then scrapped it after I finished it and didn't like the ending.

SteveKB 16 years, 5 months ago

I'm been working on a new project for the past few weeks and I plan on completing it, over any amount of time it takes.

Cesque 16 years, 5 months ago

Hey, the firefighting game is a great concept - I've never seen anything like that in the GM. I think the major fun factor would be to make the mechanics interesting, and the actual gameplay may depend on it. Various challenges, dangers, aiming the water stream, getting to the spot on time, some route planning as you try to access the right spot in the building for safety, pulling down a drunk engineer guy from the top of the platform*, etc. You know it, you name it ;)

* Happened to one of the guys I knew, who was a fireman :) I mean that he had to pull the guy down, not that he got drunk and they had to pull him down.

Quote:
try interweaving some sort of criminal background for the main character, and have ex-gangmates of his try to kill him from time to time to break up the monotony.

"Help getting my cat off the tree!" "Okay… oh noes, it's a hit-and-run! Bang bang bang!"

Or maybe you could add alligators tied to the water hydrant randomly. I heard it's illegal in some states to do that, so it must be legal in others!

OBELISK 16 years, 5 months ago

Make the firefighter have amnesia, and all he remembers is a frightening vision of battling the fire demon. One day, the fire demon emerges from the sacred firetruck and attacks all of the villages. You must gather a party of other firemen, find the sacred hose, and save the land from the forces of the fire demon while learning of your mysterious past…