How Much Detail Is Too Much For Games?

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday August 1, 2012 @09:43AM from the i-don't-need-to-see-mario's-pores dept.

jones_supa writes "Gamasutra editor Eric Schwarz gives thought to the constantly increasing amount of graphical detail in computer games. He notes how the cues leading the player can be hindered too much if they drown in the surroundings, making it harder for the game to hint whether the player is making progress. Consistent visual language helps to categorize various objects, making their meaning more obvious. Paths through the game world can be difficult to read simply due to dense vegetation. For some cases 'obfuscation through detail' can also actually work really well. Schwarz challenges us to ponder how the amount of detail makes a game either more or less enjoyable."

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can't tell where I am by themushroom · 2012-08-01 09:55 · Score: 3, Funny

I used to play this adventure game by Scott Adams on a VIC=20. All text, no detail, and I could never tell if I was making progress either.

--
Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
Skyrim by AlienIntelligence · 2012-08-01 09:57 · Score: 1, Funny

Is there more detail than "reality"?
-AI

--
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion
1. Re:Skyrim by CanHasDIY · 2012-08-01 10:03 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Is there more detail than "reality"?
  -AI
  I was thinking that, too...
  
  That is, until I took an arrow to the knee...
  
  *ducks*
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
NES vs. Sega Genesis by bigjarom · 2012-08-01 09:57 · Score: 5, Funny

I used to use this exact same argument to tell my friend why his 16-bit Sega Genesis was worse than my 8-bit NES. Really I was just jealous.