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How Much Detail Is Too Much For Games?

Posted by Soulskill on 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."

5 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. As ususal, the answer is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...it depends.

    1. Re:As ususal, the answer is... by Pseudonym · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Precisely.

      As Steve Hollasch famously noted, computer graphics is the only area of science where if it looks right, it is right. The correct amount of detail is whatever the tradeoff between artistry and gameplay demands. Your goal as a game designer is to have the audience say "what a great game", not "what great detail". Unfortunately, it's sometimes easier to optimise for high detail than it is to optimise for great gameplay.

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
  2. It's not detail, it's contrast by narcc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I tried to play that "New Super Mario Brothers" game not long ago. I couldn't see a damn thing.

    Contrast, people. Contrast is important. The challenge should be playing the game, not seeing the game.

    --
    Required reading for internet skeptics
  3. Re:uncanny valley? by grumbel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem isn't in the looks, but in the interaction. In highly detailed games you often have tons of stuff that looks like you should be able to interact with it, but you cannot. So while the graphics have gotten more detailed, the interactivity has not. It drives me nuts when I run into doors I can not open, "walls" I can not jump over, holes I can not duck through, items I cannot pickup and all that stuff. With simpler graphics there was a much clearer communication as what is interactive and was is not, as there simply wasn't the computing power available to little the rooms with tons of uninteractive decal.

  4. Re:not a crt vs lcd thing by Stormwatch · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Consider this: early LCDs had horrible picture quality, and even now it takes a pretty high end LCD to compare to a good CRT.

    --
    Circumcision is child abuse.