Philips Magnavox Videogames and the Entertainment Revolution Trigger Happy - Manual (Page 371)

Trigger Happy
373
that looks like a door, I should be able to open unless
it’s locked, or break it down if it’s made of rotting
wood; if its hinges are visible I should be able to blow
them off with a shotgun. Anything that looks like a
window, I should be able to smash, with my bare fists if
necessary. Conversely, give me a spade, and I should
be able to dig ditches or plant flowers if I’m feeling
particularly green-thumbed.
Let’s see no more spatial incoherence either. If I
can climb this wall, I should be able to climb up that
tree. If I can see a small hole, I should be able to curl up
and squeeze through it instead of banging my head on
the rocky outcrop. And forget about causal
incoherence, too. If you’re going to give me massive
weaponry to fight mutant dinosaurs in Turok 2, then it
should be open to me to shoot the angelic children I am
supposed to save. Even if that leads to drastic
punishment, it should logically be an option.
Because if I can’t do any of these things, it doesn’t
feel real. It becomes sinkingly clear that this is an
environment with artificial, illogical restrictions on my
actions. This is the problem that game designers will
have to solve in future: the more behavioral options that
are given to the player, and the more gadgetry on offer,
the harder it will be to make sure that the