RPG Interface preference... 2-click, verb-coin, or more?

[Trapezoid]

Oh, I remembered a good context-based one-- Return to Zork. Even using an item on something could have multiple options (show knife to X, give knife to X, stab X with knife.) I really like that dimension of control and complexity, at least for adventure games. I forgot this thread was about RPGs, whoops.

[Paul Franzen]

Part of me will always have a soft-spot for the giant block of verbs at the bottom of the screen (and I bet if I ever try to develop an AGS game on my own, that's what I'll go with), but I think the right-button examines/left-button interacts style could make an indie game feel more modern, since that's what so many of the big boys use now.

You could even take it a step further, and do what a game like Book of Unwritten Tales does: one button, one interaction. Always context sensitive. In that game specifically, the first time you click on something, the character examines it, and the second time, s/he interacts with it. Seemed pretty efficient!

[Igor Hardy]

Oh, I remembered a good context-based one-- Return to Zork. Even using an item on something could have multiple options (show knife to X, give knife to X, stab X with knife.) I really like that dimension of control and complexity, at least for adventure games. I forgot this thread was about RPGs, whoops.

[Chicky]

Yikes, all the verbcoin hate! Is it the time they take to pop up that people have a problem with?

[Babar]

Time taken to pop up, method required to have them pop up, how the cover up whatever it was you clicked on, how you have to be able to select the action to use, etc.

[Radiant]

Yikes, all the verbcoin hate! Is it the time they take to pop up that people have a problem with?

Primarily because they are created to look cool (to the designer) rather than to be convenient to the user.

The main problem is that they require extra clicks (or, in some cases, a click-hold-drag-release motion), and that once you've finished the operation, your mouse cursor is no longer over the hotspot and the verb you chose is no longer selected either. If they take time to pop up, that would be even worse.

A verbcoin would be doable if it had sufficient keyboard shortcuts (but then I'd expect most people to just ignore the verbcoin and use the shortcuts); remember that LucasArts always had shortcuts for everything - interfaces are supposed to respond quickly.

[Igor Hardy]

(but then I'd expect most people to just ignore the verbcoin and use the shortcuts).

I doubt even 2% of people do that. Adventure games are rarely repetitive grind-fests or real-time based, so what's the point of an ultra-quick interface?

[Radiant]

(but then I'd expect most people to just ignore the verbcoin and use the shortcuts).

I doubt even 2% of people do that. Adventure games are rarely repetitive grind-fests or real-time based, so what's the point of an ultra-quick interface?

Immersion.

[Chicky]

I've never really understood the fast paced point and click mentality, i rarely skip dialogue when there's voice acting, interact with everything for responses etc, i dont have much of a problem with CMI or Full Throttle.

Still, i'm going to rethink my verbcoin a little, maybe it'll make it to the critics lounge.

[Anian]

I've never really understood the fast paced point and click mentality, i rarely skip dialogue when there's voice acting, interact with everything for responses etc, i dont have much of a problem with CMI or Full Throttle.

But that's kind of the problem, most of the time it's not that someone is trying "everything on everything" but if you want to see what kind of response you'll get (be it funny or interesting), but if you have verb coins or verb buttons at the bottom, there's so much extra clicking around. Not that much to do with being fast as is to with tediousness.