Actually, if you showed me Half-Life, I'd probably say "yuck, another shoot stuff game...got any RPG's?" I've never played it, I have no interest in playing it, but that doesn't mean I've never heard of it.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled topic. :P

Quote:Original post by Risujin
Even games like Myst end up having drama and conflict with elements of violence. Take for example Riven, there were many times when you could die (getting trapped in a book or shot outright!). These kinds of games use more subtle forms of violence and conflict but depending on where you draw the line are still violent.

Yeah there is violence (which is very real and an unavoidable aspect of life), but the gameplay isn't violent.
I elaborate: you are never rewarded for harming anyone.

Quote:Original post by Risujin
I think the best example of the least violent game I've ever seen would be Tetris style arcade and puzzle games. These things are so abstract that you get the conflict is a lot of the time within yourself. In arcade games especially you are pushing yourself to get a higher score. You're essentially driven by your desire to improve and excel more than anything else and often times relative only to yourself. Its different from shooters where youre more competing with others or having fun just shooting people. :)

now you're on to something here.... hmmm
self conflict is good, if it leads you to self improval.

nice thread everyone ^_^
since i wanna go on a tangent, i'll start a new thread with it.

Quote:
It was said earlier that a non-violent game would mean no conflict because conflict is (I'd say) fundamentally violent.

Conflict has never, will never, be fundimentaly violent in nature.

Conflict is fundimentaly the result of opposeing forces...your ability to jump as high as you want is conflicted by gravity pulling you back down...your motive to get to work on time is hindered by the other cars and traffic lights encountered on your journy...your dissagreement with your girlfriend over which movie to go see...your makeing a choice of which of several games to buy, when you only have money for one....all of this involves conflict, and only very rarely would these situations escalate to violence.

All games require conflict, simply because the very nature of games is conflict resolution through the use of the ways/means/actions(game mechanics) granted to the player.

Even Tetris fits this mold...the random pieces fall continuesly...they stack atop one another eventualy reaching the top ending the game (source of conflict)....players are tasked, as always, with conflict resolution (bringing order to the chaos) through spinning and moveing the falling pieces...even then more conflict is created...should the player put this piece here or there? is it better to wait for a specific random piece to fall? ... really great games realise this (the secondary conflict created through the players actions and choices) and take advantage of it...its what makes those actions and choices interesting.

That said...there are millions of ways to make non-violent games...most haven't been explored, as developers are still thinking "within the box" when they falsely conclude conflict is mostly violent, because that is how most games treat the issue.

Is it really "violence" that you want to avoid? Or is it gore?

From http://dictionary.reference.com/ . . .
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=violent

1. Marked by, acting with, or resulting from great force: a violent attack.
2. Having or showing great emotional force: violent dislike.
3. Marked by intensity; extreme: violent pain; a violent squall. See Synonyms at intense.
4. Caused by unexpected force or injury rather than by natural causes: a violent death.
5. Tending to distort or injure meaning, phrasing, or intent.

According to this definition, Star Wars is violent but it's "okay for kids." As is exemplified in the rating of "Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer"
http://www.lucasarts.com/products/starwarsracer/

It is fun to play games that have situations of direct competition (maybe even conflict). The interactive properties of a competetive game are part of what attracts me to video games in the first place. I don't need gore or even violence to receive this kind of gratification; I like "Bust-A-Move" just as much as I like "SoulCalibur."

I think that one of the primary ways of coming up with a "non-violent" gameplay is to simply ignore these genre words that PC Gamer has been shoving down our throats. Don't say: "I'm going to make a admin-simmy game." Come up with an idea for interesting gameplay and run with it.

it is "violence" i'd like to avoid.

and yes, Star Wars was violent. It had swordfighting, cmon. Most things male kids like are violent.
Im not saying its bad, I just wish there was an alternative.
Look for the new thread i'll start right now, with a more explicit focus.