It bugs me when game designers seem to have programmed NPCs (That’s 'Non Player Characters) with knowledge of what you’re doing.
One example is in Far Cry 2. The aiming reticle acts like a sheep dog, herding the NPCs this way or that. If you aim at someone they will instantly change direction or move in such a way that the exact body part you’re aiming at will move out of the way.
A technique of snipering is to see someone walking or running, and aim at some point in front of them and pull the trigger when you judge that the round will hit them. But in FC2 the NPCs seem to know you’re aiming (even when they behave as if they haven’t spotted you) and suddenly change direction at a split second before they get in your sights.
One might put it down to co-incidence or randomness, and giving the NPCs a “move about a lot” command. But it seems far too co-incidental for that. It really seems like the NPCs are avoiding your aim like they can see it.
That’s just one example. By all means make the game difficult - but at least do that in a non-cheating way - Make NPCs good. Don’t make them cheaters. I’ll like your games more if you make things fair (but still difficult)
Oh goody. It must have been at least a week since Lobsang posted an OP in the Pit that clearly belongs in some other forum. I was starting to wonder if he had fallen ill.
The last time I created a thread in BBQ was dated 20th December 2008. (Christmas Mini Rants)
The time before that was 18th of November 2008.
Neither were moved.
I am not wasting my time looking for the last BBQ thread I posted that did get moved. I certainly don’t remember it.
And what the hell is your problem?
Losbang, I agree with your complaint. It’s been a problem I can remember since NES days.
However, when it’s labeled “minor pet-peeve about computer games” it should really be in the Game Room, you fucking idiot.
RE: The OP
I, too, hate that. Like in WoW when I attack an NPC it starts charging at me before the spell/arrow or whatever ranged thingie I am lobbing hits and does damage. Bullshit, says I! Those fuckers should have to get hit first! (though to be fair, it is also not plausible that I can be killing a Mob it what would be clear line of sight of another and it does not notice because I am not in its agro sphere).
Gratuitous insults aside, this thread is more of a discussion about computer games than anything else (just because it’s about a negative aspect of them doesn’t automatically mean it should go in the Pit), so I think it’s probably better off in the Game Room.
The tanks cheat. It’s really that simple. Picture your character, a lone person who is crouched, cresting a hill to the point where you can just make line of sight with a tank so you can line up the Air to Surface missile which takes time to charge. The tank, who’s facing almost 180 degrees away from you and is a good ways away instantly swings the turret your way the minute you see it.
To be fair, it’s also rather cheating when you can snipe someone with a silenced weapon, they fall dead, and yet their buddy doesn’t take alarm because they can’t see you and you didn’t make any noise.
That said though, there are two things I absolutely hate: Magic Homing Grenades, when the enemies tossing grenades at you know exactly where you are despite your having ducked out of sight and stealthily moved fifty yards from your last seen position. And the M1 Clip Curse, when your enemies always know the instant you hit your Reload button and pick that second to rush you.
Isn’t that based on the real-life distinctive sound an ejected cartridge made? Germans recognized the “ching” noise and know Americans were out of ammo. I could be thinking of a different gun.
The one I hate most is RPGs, wherein people will get angry with you and you’ll lose faction standing due to actions you too that they could not possibly have witnessed and that you left no witnesses of.
In particular, the fact that you can’t end “Blood Ties” violently in Fallout 3, even if you wipe out all the bad guys in their little enclave, the game assumes the peaceful solution, which ties your reputation with the “bad guys” to that of a nearby town, whose residents will come out shooting despite the fact that there were no witnesses to the killing spree you just perpetrated a few miles away and underground.
I’ll have to roundly roast RTS games where I have to scour the map looking for the enemy base camp while it appears that they have a homing beacon in my CP.
And they’re throwing out units that it’s just not possible to have built up resources and structure to be producing. I’m just starting to produce heavy infantry and I’m being attacked with tanks? I don’t effing think so!
How about RTS or turn based games where the computer knows where you are but you don’t know where it is until you’ve ‘discovered’ it. I’m lookin’ at you somethingCraft and Mythology games. And don’t try to tell me you don’t because you do!
ETA: Or what that guy said about 5 minutes before me.
Since WoW’s been mentioned, how about mobs that agro through the wall or floor? Yeah, I’m sure they saw me through a foot of solid stone :dubious: And while we’re at it how about giving pets the ability to jump? I don’t want to know how many wipes that caused in UBRS back in the day.
