Really, mouse look? I remember playing that version (but I didn't use mouselook until after Quake I). I thought that was added in the "portable version" that you can find nowadays.


Please explain to me how the control scheme of Dune II and Warcraft I is not outdated?

Or the old FPS where you had to constantly press a button to enable mouse-look (Quake I)? Or how complex strategy games without any tooltips are not outdated?

The reason I tend to label things as outdated is:
1) It is not intuitive, especially to new players
2) It is somehow "hard" to do (e.g. requires more button presses or some other more complex mode of interaction)

I don't typically count resource constraints, since few developers are silly enough to keep following mechanics that are used solely to address these after the actual constraint no longer exists.

There are old mechanics that are simply different as you say, and I don't qualify those as outdated, but a lot of mechanics that have not persisted into modern gameplay certainly do fit the bill for actually being outdated.

Finally there's the whole argument of "design space" which actual game designers, such as Jeff Vogel, worry about as a function of mechanics, but I'm not a game developer and have a hard time explaining it to other non-game developers as it's only an abstract concept to me. An example of a game with small design space is our well known GOG The Legend of Grimrock.

Are you a fan of "one button does everything" solution...?

And I don't know if new games are more intuitive or they just display "Press E to open the door" every god damn time I look at a door.

Erm... you didn't have to constantly press a button to mouselook in Quake 1.

But yes... those particular elements are indeed outdated.

No, one button does everything can be just as confusing as the keymap for Ultima III. Good design means good design, intuitive means intuitive, it doesn't automatically mean "OMG DUMBED DOWN!"

If a contextual, single button turns out to be the most intuitive design decision possible, THEN AND ONLY THEN is it a good idea and do I become a "fan". Otherwise it's shitty design.

Mechanics like the contextual on-screen tips are very definition of intuitive design, so yes, that is an example of how games today are more intuitive. However they can be misused or used badly, they are far more clever ways to use them than what you describe in your example.

In general they're more intuitive, which is usually a plus, but can sometimes shoot them in the foot. I don't think "intuitiveness" is some sort of golden standard. There are too many fantastic games with a steep learning curve.

True. For example, Europa Universalis titles. Yes, there are tooltips, but some interface buttons are so small, you won't even notice them normally playing, so you need a manual or something like that (interface of EU games gets pretty messy when they release 4 expansion and each one adds something more, like 20 map modes, or something). Or like in EU2, you have an option to "Promote Bailiff" and you just don't know what the fuck is it needed for, until you do it, and you notice that your income from that province grows.

But these games are so fun to play once you learn how to play them, it would be a shame to pass on them just because they're not intuitive.

You did when it came out. Because it was deemed outdated, it was fixed ;-).

I played Quake 2 on PSX... That was outdated controls :D you used buttons to look up and down, not the analog....

That is the most terrible thing I have heard today...

I love him...

Last I knew there was a console command to enable "always mouse look." Something like "mouse+" or something like that? I don't remember. It was in the original version, thought.

I would agree that really arcane control schemes (like the one in the otherwise incredible SS1) are outdated.

Yeah, SS1's controls are one of the biggest roadblocks to appreciating the game (which is why SS1 Portable is so great). However, in nearly every other way it still provides a one-of-a-kind experience. So in that case, I'd say that the controls have aged really horribly, but the gameplay concepts and overall execution has aged very well.



Well it was certainly the first Id game with proper console commands.
Don't forget Braid

To a certain extent, yes. But a lot of the most interesting ideas come from the indie scene as well. There's a lot of pretentious "me too!" crap, but a lot of really original titles as well. The most unique and interesting indie games are often waaaay out there, and try a lot of "make it or break it" stuff. The most unique and interesting AAA titles innovate within acceptable boundaries, or go after the sort of new ideas that require a big budget.