h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: First-Person Shooters - A1018144
Author: Blauthecow - U224448

This is a short article about First-Person Shooters, a type of video game. I will, when I have time, write articles on some of my other favourite genres of games.

Your Idea of an entry about FPS is good, but I think you lack some information or alternative point of view on the subject.

Consoles are not the homeland of FPS, PC is. As for real-time strategy (wich also is a mess on console, think about multiplayer Starcraft for N64) the best way to play an FPS is with a mouse and keyboard. Joystick aiming on console games is, apart for the occasional hardcore gamer, a real pain-in-the-ass.

As a PC gamer, I must put some things right. The first well-known first-person shooter is no other than Wolfenstein 3d.
And I frankly think that Goldeneye has had its hour of glory, but is now really outdated and is no longer has been matched many years ago in terms of game balance, graphics, level design, artificial intelligence, sound effects, music or any other aspects.

I don't want to hurt your convictions of anything, but if you want to write an entry about first person shooters, you have to include more informations about innovative games like Quake, Half-Life, Deus Ex, Unreal Tournament and maybe even the upcoming Doom III.

If you haven't stop reading at this point, and you are not angry at me for expressing a different opinion (with, I must admit, a total lack of tact), I offer you to collaborate on this entry if you like.

What are those footprints meaning?

Please do not forget the few first person games that had something other than just shoot the enemy. At the same time that Wolfenstien 3d was around Looking Glass Technologies had Ultima Underworld out. First person swords and sorcery, decent plot, atmosphere to die for, intresting magic system, even some talking. Of course now the 3d window is a bit small, but if I could get it I wouild play it again.

Looking Glass then took what they learned from UU and went on to create one of the best games of all time - System Shock. Stop SHODAN, an AI on a space station from destroying Earth. Cyberpunk meets mutated zombie horror. What could be better Again the atmosphere and the level construction rocked. Dropped personal logs of the crew, elevator music in the elevators Really good. Even now it doesn't look too shabby as the top end graphics (SVGA in the CD version, with the crews logs getting voices too) were almost unable to run on the top end hardware of the time.

That of course led, eventually to System Shock II, which is good too Though I have only just started it.

Then there is Thief and Thief II the first first person sneaker (well, the first one that I rate ). Again the atmosphere and level design was beyond compare. Again from Looking Glass Tech.

Unfortunately even though they produced some of the best games of all time, the critics raved about them, and I back them up, nobody bought the games. So now Looking Glass is defunct And the games today are poorer for it. I am playing Slinter Cell at the moment, but it has almost none of the tension that was generated by Thief. Ahhh, well enough about my fave games Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

I agree with you. I played Ultima Underworld a lot until I got discouraged of being lost, poisoned, and confused mostly because my english was not as good as it is today. The whole Dungeon And Dragon 3d serie was also great, and I never saw a better use of 16 color high resolution graphic elsewhere. On the other hand, I dont believe those games can be considered as 'First person shooters' because, well, they are 'First Person Adventure' games!

Have you ever played 'Rise of the Triad'? This game was kind of fun for a short while, it was based on the wolfenstein 3d engine with some major improvements, including a wide variety of bazookas, multiple floors and look-up look-down capability, and was really multiplayer-oriented. I even remember seeing that game in a virtual reality booth with stereoscopic glasses. It should have been great to see all those guts splash around in full 3d. ('/ekg' ludicrous gibs!!)

There is also Blake Stone, wich introduced allies sprites that gives goodies.

And what about Duke Nukem 3d? It too was a great improvement in FPS, introducing more realistic and interactive levels and an actual main character with an attitude. And hookers.

>> What are those footprints meaning? <<

Just like footprints you might find in your back garden, they just mean I was here, just passing thru.

I have a look at almost everything that gets sent to the Flea Market and sometimes, when they are abandoned by the author, I rescue them, as is, for promotion in <./>AggGag</.>/CAC

This one looked like it was still alive and being worked on.
So I just kept on going.


~jwf~

I started something similar, as a journal entry. To see if there was any collaborative intrest. here http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F96332?thread=214387&post=3591954#p3591954 also check out the IGC Internet Gaming Club at A973082 pedboy

Akk@! SO much information!

I think that while a PC's mouse (but not a Mac's one-button monster) is very effective for strategy games, and while you can't beat a good Joystick when you play Mechwarrior, and while keyboard shortcuts help in many games, you simply can't beat two thumbsticks for control, aim, strafing, and ease of use.

And sorry for my historical innacuracy. I played Pac Man and Mario and Zelda on the NES, the Mario and Zelda and Donkey Kong on the SNES, and a whole lotta stuff on the N64, before settling down to my XBOX and Gamecube. But no PS2... On the PC I've played Diablo, Starcraft, and Mechwarrior, and not much else.

You aim better with a thumbstick than you would with a mouse?
You are able to strafe and aim using only your thumbs, and shoot and reload at the same time? beats me.

Try to play Quake 3 arena with thumbsticks and you will understand why there's nothing like a 3-button wheelmouse for shooters.

If you don't use auto-aim, of course.

That first section of Half-life was a true jaw dropping jump in the genre of the FPS.... I can't believe you left that out! This game also consistantly scores as best FPS in nearly all the PC gaming mags.

Also how about Half Life Counterstrike and multiplayer options in FPS these days as well as things like Everquest (not quite sure what they are classed as)

PS

I remember sitting in a darkened room playing Doom on a 486 with the music and gunfire blaring through my speakers being terrified of what may be lurking behind the next door..... no fancy joypads in those days.....kids these days just don't know what they are missing...