test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Big people, little people, big challenges, little challenges.
KagamiTheMagicalCatGerl
Posts: 357 Arc User
in Off Topic
So I have this theory about player power level and game challenge level and how it might equate to the person behind the keyboard.
Dark Souls has often been described as a game that has the player control "just some guy"; he's not a big tough hero, he's not amazing in any way, he's just some guy (at least at the start of the game). By contrast, the world that this nobody is dropped into and expected to overcome is the kind of thing you would logically only send a super hero to deal with; giant monsters, ancient horrors, poison swamps, etc... So Dark Souls would then be a game that fits the description of "Small person facing big challenges".
Then you have a game like Dead Space. Now, while at first glance Issac Clarke might not appear super human, he is in fact the equivalent of Bruce Willis in one of the Die Hard movies. Clarke may be facing creepy space zombies, but he is clearly more than a match for them as evidenced by the fact that he takes on an entire army of them and succeeds; especially highlighted by the fact that this army of the dead slaughtered legions of other human beings - Issac is clearly superhuman. There's also the fact that he can smash Necromorphs apart with his feet. This would then be an example of "Big person facing small challenges".
Another example is Devil May Cry 3. Dante is super human, there's no question there. However, the challenges that Dante faces are exactly the kind of thing you would send a half-demon super human bad **** like Dante to face. Yes yes, there's some DMC3 pro right now crying about how the game is actually super easy, but pros tend to suffer amnesia about the time they spent learning the game. This is then an example of "Big person facing big challenges".
And then you have Minecraft. The monsters aren't particularly threatening, and our nameless hero's daily life consists mostly of digging and crafting. Small person, small challenges.
So how does any of this relate to the person behind the keyboard? Well, it's my theory that people tend to enjoy the opposite in-game combination compared to the combination that their real life presents. For example, there is a certain someone on these forums who I have repeatedly observed to state that they very much enjoy CO's "Big person, little challenges" dynamic. I have also seen this person make statements about their real life, which gives me very much the impression that they are living a "Little person, big challenges" dynamic in their real life. Essentially, someone who has a difficult daily life, and who may feel like they are struggling to keep up to the task, would probably enjoy playing a video game where they are expected to overcome small challenges that they are very much over-equipped for. On the other hand someone who doesn't face many challenges in their daily life, and who feels like they easily excel at what they have to do on a daily basis would possibly enjoy a game that puts them in a position of weakness facing monumental challenges.
Dark Souls has often been described as a game that has the player control "just some guy"; he's not a big tough hero, he's not amazing in any way, he's just some guy (at least at the start of the game). By contrast, the world that this nobody is dropped into and expected to overcome is the kind of thing you would logically only send a super hero to deal with; giant monsters, ancient horrors, poison swamps, etc... So Dark Souls would then be a game that fits the description of "Small person facing big challenges".
Then you have a game like Dead Space. Now, while at first glance Issac Clarke might not appear super human, he is in fact the equivalent of Bruce Willis in one of the Die Hard movies. Clarke may be facing creepy space zombies, but he is clearly more than a match for them as evidenced by the fact that he takes on an entire army of them and succeeds; especially highlighted by the fact that this army of the dead slaughtered legions of other human beings - Issac is clearly superhuman. There's also the fact that he can smash Necromorphs apart with his feet. This would then be an example of "Big person facing small challenges".
Another example is Devil May Cry 3. Dante is super human, there's no question there. However, the challenges that Dante faces are exactly the kind of thing you would send a half-demon super human bad **** like Dante to face. Yes yes, there's some DMC3 pro right now crying about how the game is actually super easy, but pros tend to suffer amnesia about the time they spent learning the game. This is then an example of "Big person facing big challenges".
And then you have Minecraft. The monsters aren't particularly threatening, and our nameless hero's daily life consists mostly of digging and crafting. Small person, small challenges.
So how does any of this relate to the person behind the keyboard? Well, it's my theory that people tend to enjoy the opposite in-game combination compared to the combination that their real life presents. For example, there is a certain someone on these forums who I have repeatedly observed to state that they very much enjoy CO's "Big person, little challenges" dynamic. I have also seen this person make statements about their real life, which gives me very much the impression that they are living a "Little person, big challenges" dynamic in their real life. Essentially, someone who has a difficult daily life, and who may feel like they are struggling to keep up to the task, would probably enjoy playing a video game where they are expected to overcome small challenges that they are very much over-equipped for. On the other hand someone who doesn't face many challenges in their daily life, and who feels like they easily excel at what they have to do on a daily basis would possibly enjoy a game that puts them in a position of weakness facing monumental challenges.
0
Comments
Anyway if my personal anecdote counts, I don't exactly lead a very comfortable life with little challenges seeing that I'm living in the most expensive city in the world without a welfare system, but I do enjoy a variety of games with varying challenge levels, even the occasional Minecraft which is more of a creative outlet than any expected challenge. Maybe there are players out whose choice of games are based on daily life experiences, but there are various possible other factors, like influences of pop culture that aren't gaming-related but fit the theme of the game.