[General Discussion] Those little touches in games that make you say wow (Or possibly Guild Wars)

We've all had them -- you pause for a moment, cock your head to the side, smile, and then burst out laughing and say 'That was pretty awesome!"

It's these small moments that "Wow" you that really make the game unique. I'm not aiming to describe epic boss fights, or amazing video sequences -- this is something small, a tiny detail, that really immerses you in the game, that blows your expectations out of the water, that makes the game FUN.

I'll get the ball rolling because it feels like my words ain't explaining what I mean well enough.

Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. During the tutorial, you pick up a bow and arrows and fire a shot off into a bucket hanging above a well. I don't know what it was -- it could be the fact that the arrow was visible after firing at all, it could be that the weight of the arrow caused the bucket to be tilted to one side, could be that the bucket kept swinging and the wood creaking -- the entire thing happened in less than a second and I was blown away.
Such attention to detail was completely above and beyond my expectations. I literally grinned and said "This is awesome!" the first time I played this.

Oblivion being a shitty game aside, that was an absolutely precious moment.

Got any like it?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

A recent one (I think this applies) was when I learned the significance of being kindly asked to do something in Bioshock. I mean, it makes sense but at the same time, you'd never think of it meaning anything more then
just "Go pick up that Pipe wrench".

Spoiler:

You are "Kindly" asked to do several things throughout the game, which seem fairly benign: Pick up a weapon, open a door, go complete this objective, small stuff... but as it turns out, it was a trigger phrase which the character could NOT disobey, and in order to progress in the game You had to kindly perform what the other guy requested!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Your thread title implies that this thread is a copy of this one, yet your intro post suggests you're interested in small details that made a game, rather than "Wow" moments. Should I merge the thread or give it a decent title for you?

How ya doing, buddy?

I think "Wow" moments are significantly different than memorable ones. For example, I wouldn't consider Hamlet's death to be a Wow moment, but it certainly was one of the most memorable for me.

I think one of the more recent "wow" moments for me was while playing God of War. I forget exactly what point it was that made me go, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT NO WAY THIS GAME IS AWESOME," but it could have been when you have to rip the head off of the gorgons in order to kill them.

Also when you fight those monsters in Shadow Hearts that smack you with their penises. It wasn't so much a WOW THIS RULES as a WHAT THE FUCK moment in gaming.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

The threads are similar, definitely, but I think the descriptions should make the replies distinct. Mine is aiming more for small things that surpass your expectations and make you grin -- I think the title is accurate. If you think the thread title needs changing, go for it.

I was speaking idiomatically.

The first "wow" moment I can think of off the top of my head is in Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. I shot a guy with an arrow and it pinned his dead body to the wall, hilariously by his crotch. I had a screencap of it, but I lost it when I reformatted my computer. I still need to beat that game.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

One of my favorite "wow" moments comes from Shadow Hearts also. The main character (I forget his name) attempts to engage in idle conversation with, and even taunts, Ring Soul. Usually, the omnipotent entity is treated with reverence, sometimes mild fear. The being shows up, dispenses its wisdom, and departs. The protagonist never questions it or seeks to develop a neighborly relationship. Yet there he was, asking whether Ring Soul had a wife and kids. It was smart writing and I openly laughed each time the joke grew more ridiculous. It didn't revolutionize RPGs in any way but it was very refreshing and helped the game stand out.

FELIPE NO

My last "wow" moment probably came from throughout my first play of Wind Waker, the game is absoluetly gorgeous. I mean I had seen gameplay videos and such, but it hardly stacks up to playing on TV.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Crash Landon 2.0

One of my favorite "wow" moments comes from Shadow Hearts also. The main character (I forget his name) attempts to engage in idle conversation with, and even taunts, Ring Soul. Usually, the omnipotent entity is treated with reverence, sometimes mild fear. The being shows up, dispenses its wisdom, and departs. The protagonist never questions it or seeks to develop a neighborly relationship. Yet there he was, asking whether Ring Soul had a wife and kids. It was smart writing and I openly laughed each time the joke grew more ridiculous. It didn't revolutionize RPGs in any way but it was very refreshing and helped the game stand out.

Yuri. Yuri was great.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm playing through Fallout 3 at the moment. Tranquillity Lane did it for me.

Spoiler:

Suddenly, the player's catapulted into a short but sweet set-piece exempt from everything the game's thrown at you so far. The whole world is in sepia, checking third-person reveals that you're suddenly a child, attempting to check your inventory reveals that all that's present on your arm is a childish Vault Boy wristwatch.

Moments which completely upend a game's setting rank pretty highly for me.

How ya doing, buddy?

It's not a set-piece.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Okay. What is a set-piece, then? Please explain. I would very much like to know where I have gone wrong in my assumption.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

It'd be a quest or scenario. Set piece relates to theater or art, sometimes to props, which games don't make use of. It's not the same thing.

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I see. However, it is worth knowing that there are many who do not agree with that notion. At all.

Quote:

In Video Games, "setpiece" refers to an object in any given level that is unique or is not part of the level's default object set. These pieces more often than not have no effect on gameplay, and simply serve the function of building atmosphere. It can also refer to scripted (non-random) events of significance in the game, such as an encounter with a major antagonist.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setpiece

Quote:

In video games, a set piece is a specific, often one-time gameplay mechanic that is choreographed by game designers to solve or address a particular in-game situation.

- http://answers.com/topic/set-piece

Quote:

The setpiece stands out from other Scripted Events in such games in that it is a one-time deal. If it happens frequently then it's a standard Scripted Event. Additionally, it has to be an integral part of the gameplay rather than a hands-off Cut Scene.

- http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...eogameSetpiece

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

As much as I'd like to dig online descriptions usually written up by folks who use the term incorrectly, the last actual GAME DESIGNER I talked to begged to differ. Now am I gonna trust a guy who went to school for the shit, or the internet and the equivalent of Encyclopedia Dramatica.

Edit:

It's not a set piece. Games are not art.

How ya doing, buddy?

The first "wow" moment I had on a game was on Star Ocean: Second Story. I'm fairly sure it's not the first game that's done it, but it's the first game I noticed it on. I was walking one the shorline of a river and I could see the reflection of the main character on the water. I was suprised they actually took the time to put that type of minor detail into a game back then.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by RAZGRIZ-4

As much as I'd like to dig online descriptions usually written up by folks who use the term incorrectly, the last actual GAME DESIGNER I talked to begged to differ. Now am I gonna trust a guy who went to school for the shit, or the internet and the equivalent of Encyclopedia Dramatica.

Why yes you are correct that is a very good justification. It would clearly make sense to stop using 'camera', too, as that refers to something completely different in an entirely separate industry.

One word can have completely different connotations in two different contexts.

Quote:

Games are not art.

I agree with this. However, I don't believe I argued that this was the case.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Camera is the proper term, but the phrase "Set Piece" is used by folks who don't know what a Concept or Scenario Designer's Job is. So while you want to sound clever, you aren't. No one "made up" the term Camera to describe what the object KNOWN AS A CAMERA IN THE GAME is doing, meanwhile the job of a scenario designer/concept designer is to designate the directions for programmers. The purpose and definition of "set piece" might sound like it'd fit for a games, because it's a stretch if you strip it of its meaning, but it's like using the word "irregardless." While one day someone will cover for your ass because of how many people who use the term or phrase (incorrectly), it's still birthed from ignorance.

It's not a set piece because set piece relates to art, whereas scenario/concept design lends to designing a, wait for it, mission or scenario or quest. It's called a Quest in game, so call it that.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I would far rather stick to my erroneous opinion, as it is an issue rooted wholly in language and not at all in logic, and I am not entirely sure what benefits I would receive as a result of changing it (aside from confusion wrought by self-righteousness).

Perhaps this thread can return to its intended topic now. Thank you for your tactful clarification on this pressing matter.

How ya doing, buddy?

As much as I dig the choppy flak of your thesaurus flipping vernacular... discussion with people tends to be, y'know, malleable. There's lesson two in case you wanted another notch in the opinion belt.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

That's nice.

Lay off with the ad hominem though, buddy. That's not very nice!

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Duly noted!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

A 'Wow' moment for me was probably watching the Cut-scenes for Twisted Metal: Black. They were so dark and crazy that I absolutely loved it and I tried to beat the game as much as possible just to see how every character turned out. My favorite was probably Dollface.

Another 'Wow' moment comes from Grand Theft Auto 3. On the first island at the top of a road, you could find a small turn which lead to a long hill and a jump at the end of it. Friends and I spent hours just doing that bullshit jump because for the time, it was amazing to see.

Playing a soccer game on playstation with a friend of mine- We were just goofing off not knowing what to do until one of the player got flagged, started running off the field and the ref followed him and the game just 'quit' after that.

FELIPE NO

Wow moment?

Sonic 3 and Knuckles, watching the Death Egg rise into the sky before hopping on it.

Crono Trigger, the entirety of the undersea palace.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

The first wow moment I recall having in any game came from Final Fantasy VI. I remember playing through the game and having acquired the Ultima spell but it didn't do anything for me. For some reason enemies were able to decimate me with it but I couldn't do the same with the spell until I reached a certain level with Terra. After that, I remember casting the spell once on a party of those giants and completely decimated them.

All I said was , "WOW..."

Ever since then, I get them all the time and any game, provided you enjoy it well enough, will be a good source of perfectly gratifying "WOW moments".

Jam it back in, in the dark.