I've recently posted a game idea I had, involving a detective, and I started wondering:
What makes the detective such a suitable character for an adventure game?
I believe I've come up with an answer.
A lot of adventure games entail mysteries, and the detectives are the ones expected to do the mindwork, as well as be prepared for physical combat.
So, if the main character in a movie is a detective, they have a higher chance of finding the criminal.
I think a similar concept is shown in many adventure games.
Post your thoughts and opinions on the matter.
Private Investigators are awesome, maybe even more-so than pirates -- and that's saying a lot. I had a friend who was making an Investigator game, and I actually started writing a book on one :D
P.I.s in games can be awesome as long as they're done right. You need to get that atmosphere right and instill a sense of mystery properly.
If you go ahead with this, good luck!
I don't like Private investigator/Detective games. They always overwhelm me with a sense that I will have to become detective-like...searching for obscure clues, link up random connections, find leads, etc. Pirates can just get a ship, crew and map, and then beat up the bad guy-much simpler ;D
Pirates cannot just get a ship, crew and map -- They need grog, man! Well, except for Guybrush, but he's a sissy.
I am completely hooked on the whole PI genre. I think its all just plain friggin' awesome, and making a proper PI game with a good story and excellent mystery with perfect atmosphere would also be awesome.
Remember, there are different types of PIs that you get:
1. Sherlock Holmes type: This is the 1800s setting of which many parodies have been made. Your character will be a subtly arrogant type who smokes pipes and wears chequed coats. Not a very good choice IMO.
2. Barnaby Jones type: This is an OK type of PI; the kind that interests a viewer/player for a few episodes but then starts to annoy them. An ok choice, but there are better.
3. Dirk Gently type: Oooh, this is a very interesting PI. The failure. While having reasonably good mystery solving skills, tends to miss things and fail. Good for a comedy.
There you have it. Feel free to mix characters etc. (I have a whole lot more PIs in mind, just don't feel like writing them down now.)
You forgot Philip Marlow/Bogart. :) My favorite ever. Film-noir-detective.
Incidently, that character can be serious, like in the game Philip Marlow Private Eye, or comical and equally "noir", like in Discworld Noir.
EDIT - Damn. "Marlowe".
Quote from: Rui "Brisby" Pires (a Furry) on Sat 27/08/2005 19:13:42
You forgot Philip Marlow/Bogart. :) My favorite ever. Film-noir-detective.
Oh god, how could I forget Philip Marlow? Please forgive me! :D hehe.
Quote from: Zor on Sun 28/08/2005 09:58:31
Oh god, how could I forget Philip Marlow? Please forgive me! :D hehe.
I love film noir detectives, especially in the early B&W films...so I enjoyed Discworld Noir...I'd like to see a classic detective game with good puzzles... (yes, that was a request, you hear me?? :P)
Less than cliché & contemporary detectives enthuse me. I would expect a certain set of rules to follow in a game if it uses a film noir style detective, you'd then expect a female fatale etc. I'm not a big fan of film noir, thought a 2D noir adventure game could be pretty cool. Being a detective is in my opinion just a front, such as being a pirate or what not, the more important part is of course the character, the personality behind the "job". If a detective has a good personality that I enjoy, then I'd probably play.
I don't think it really matters what your main character does for a living, whether he's a detective or a plumber. The trick is writing the story so that your main character has obligation and good motivation to solve a problem.
So would "Use fish on door" be acceptable for a fisherman?
:P
Quote from: m0ds on Mon 29/08/2005 18:52:44
So would "Use fish on door" be acceptable for a fisherman?
:P
What are you talking about?
I do like a good detective game and I'm currently playing Moment of Silence. If you really want to know a good detective film watch - "Basil the great mouse detective".
They always come to the rescue at the last minute, can blend in to any surrounding, have a wide knowledge of science and very keen observation skills.
They're popular because it's very easy to tell an investigation story in an adventure game. You look for clues, interrogate, use devices, move along from a place to other... It's the base of an adventure game.
I wish the Duckman adventure game was about detecting...
What was with that crap about Paramount Studios...pure sacrelige...
I don't know what you're talking about. I went to junior high school with a detective. He wasn't very popular. People were always stealing his magnifying glass and his Sherlock Holmes hat and every time he offered to solve someone's mysteries he just got beaten up.
Lol, we're talking about adventure games here. ::)
I see two problems with the detective scenario:
1: police quest; where as the actual game and challenge would be to work as an actual police officer. This is kind of nice, gameplay isn't actually focused on puzzles but more on police work simulation. This can however be extraordinary tedious without proper documentation or simply bad gaming design (read police quest 3 and 4). But it is a way of eluding problem number..
2: conclusions and placing of facts. How much can you leave to the player when facing the role of investigator extraordinaire? Will the player actually solve the clues before the game does, thus being rather annoying or may the clues be to elusive? Making a game like this is likewise to writing a good detective novel; you all better see the clues and they better make sense in the end; but there must be some elements of revelation there too.
My .02: Colonel's Bequest! The best detective game ever since you are awarded your investigation, but the game trods along even if you are completely unaware of what's going on. Good way of tackling the problems above.
still life is a really nice game, in which you play a classic detective. i really like it.