Not a single title, but any incremental “clicker” game. What’s the point? Seems like “hurr durr number go up”.
Similarly, any game that’s more than a little grindy, where the grind isn’t a fun gameplay loop in its own right. e.g. I played Warframe for years, and the core gameplay feels great. But if it wasn’t for that I would have likely hated the game due to how repetitive it gets just to collect tedious resources and upgrade your gear.
Not a single title, but any incremental “clicker” game. What’s the point? Seems like “hurr durr number go up”.
I’m pretty sure idle games started out as explicit commentary on this exact idea, distilling the very essence of video game progression into concentrated form.
Sure. But what exactly is that commentary? To me it feels super cynical, like “Look, people are suckers and you don’t need to waste effort on story and gameplay, they’re happy to just mindlessly click buttons”.
Progression and tech trees are my favorite parts of rpg games. Good incremental games distill that part to a fine, highly concentrated progression liquor. I also prefer that they conclude in under a few hours. Fuck the endless ones.
Progression and tech trees are my favorite parts of rpg games.
Oh I like those very much too. They serve as a reward for playing the core game and unlock further choices and complexity so your skills and particular playstyle can expand.
Good incremental games distill that part to a fine, highly concentrated progression liquor.
Uh, no I would argue that they boil away everything interesting – narrative, gameplay, choices, skill, problem solving – and what’s left is naught but the kind of task 1960’s neuroscientists would set for rats with electrodes implanted in their crania. How is that appealing whatsoever?
Huh? That’s like saying you love a shitty drug. You’re not enjoying a story or developing any kind of skill, you’re just raising your risk of RSI for a dopamine hit. What am I missing?
Not everyone’s looking for a story or skill development when they play games. Sometimes you want to just turn your brain off for a bit and enjoy the dopamine. Plenty of clickers and idlers have actual stories regardless. As for RSI, most “clickers” don’t actually have you clicking much past the very early game anyway. It’s almost always automated.
Not a single title, but any incremental “clicker” game. What’s the point? Seems like “hurr durr number go up”.
Similarly, any game that’s more than a little grindy, where the grind isn’t a fun gameplay loop in its own right. e.g. I played Warframe for years, and the core gameplay feels great. But if it wasn’t for that I would have likely hated the game due to how repetitive it gets just to collect tedious resources and upgrade your gear.
I’m pretty sure idle games started out as explicit commentary on this exact idea, distilling the very essence of video game progression into concentrated form.
Sure. But what exactly is that commentary? To me it feels super cynical, like “Look, people are suckers and you don’t need to waste effort on story and gameplay, they’re happy to just mindlessly click buttons”.
Progression and tech trees are my favorite parts of rpg games. Good incremental games distill that part to a fine, highly concentrated progression liquor. I also prefer that they conclude in under a few hours. Fuck the endless ones.
Oh I like those very much too. They serve as a reward for playing the core game and unlock further choices and complexity so your skills and particular playstyle can expand.
Uh, no I would argue that they boil away everything interesting – narrative, gameplay, choices, skill, problem solving – and what’s left is naught but the kind of task 1960’s neuroscientists would set for rats with electrodes implanted in their crania. How is that appealing whatsoever?
That’s the whole point. I love it.
Huh? That’s like saying you love a shitty drug. You’re not enjoying a story or developing any kind of skill, you’re just raising your risk of RSI for a dopamine hit. What am I missing?
Not everyone’s looking for a story or skill development when they play games. Sometimes you want to just turn your brain off for a bit and enjoy the dopamine. Plenty of clickers and idlers have actual stories regardless. As for RSI, most “clickers” don’t actually have you clicking much past the very early game anyway. It’s almost always automated.