Question about Immersion... Options

[McBadgere]

I'm not entirely sure where to put this topic, but it's something that I've been wondering for a while...

This word, immersion...I get it...I really do...I've lost hours playing Oblivion...Looked up and two hours have gone...

But then I've switched it off and gone and done the washing up...

I keep seeing this complaint about loading times...It's usually no more than 10 seconds on my PS3...And from what I've seen, the PC version is waaay faster than that...So why is it a problem?...

You're not in Cyrodil...In the rain...Facing a smelly Ogre on the road to Bruma...Shooting lightning out of your fingers...Wearing skimpy furs...You're at home (or someone's home)...In front of a screen...Maybe with headphones...And you've probably had to press something on a Mod somewhere...It's warm, maybe the fire/radiators/insert-heating-type-here's on...You may have had some tea/coffee/7up etc...This may cause you to go to the loo?...

That's a question for you "Total Immersion" people actuall...Do you make your character spend time...Going to the loo?...Not a piss-take question...Well it is...Technically...Not a...Mockery question...It's a genuine ask...

Indeed you may even be called away to cook tea for the family...

See what I mean?...

How does a few seconds of loading...Or a suddenly appearing tree/dodgy mountain or lack of limbs flying off, really matter in the context of a game?...

And before anyone accuses me of not being able to immerse myself...I am trying to write something with the characters I've created and the backstories I've come up with as I've played them...Just before I've had to deal with an airlock in the plumbing...

See what I mean?...

This post has been edited by McBadgere: Oct 30 2011, 01:26 PM

[Lady Saga]

I keep seeing this complaint about loading times...It's usually no more than 10 seconds on my PS3...And from what I've seen, the PC version is waaay faster than that...So why is it a problem?...

Personally I never complain about load times. I'm on PS3 as well, load times aren't that bad on this system, I've seen much worse (Grand Theft Auto on PS2? Sheesh!)

I sometimes change the channel when the game is loading up. Matter of fact, I'm doing this right now. My internet is on my TV, so I can switch from the game to this channel, read a message here on one of the boards, switch back to the game, etc.

That's a question for you "Total Immersion" people actuall...Do you make your character spend time...Going to the loo?...Not a piss-take question...Well it is...Technically...Not a...Mockery question...It's a genuine ask...

No, I don't worry about this one. But if they're "eating", I'll tend to let them sit there while I go off and make a snack or let the cat out or whatever. When I come back, the camera will usually be in "rotate" mode. You know...where the entire room is spinning around your character?

...and then while my character is sitting there and I'm maybe having a snack, sometimes there will be some conversation going on I've not heard yet in the background. I'll sit there and listen to it, eating my snack, and so will my character.

I sometimes intentionally won't start every quest I come across. The NPC's will be chattering about this and that, and it's obviously supposed to be my que to investigate the situation, but sometimes...I'll just let it go. I won't start the quest, especially if it's something that doesn't sound like my character would want to get involved with.

I'll just let them talk, sometimes. I like hearing them banter...doing their Radiant Story bits.

How does a few seconds of loading...Or a suddenly appearing tree/dodgy mountain or lack of limbs flying off, really matter in the context of a game?...

Loading doesn't bother me, like I said. None of that stuff you just listed does. I grew up playing TFT, man! TFT hybrided with DnD. We used lead figureines on a hex board to simulate melee and even town situations! So not having limbs fly off in the game doesn't bother me. I have an imagination, and I still get to use it, know what I mean?

But for me to really "immerse" myself, the following conditions have to be met

1). It cannot be sunny outside. I only game if it's overcast or rainy, or night time.

2). My daughter needs to be somewhere else. At a friend's place, at her grandma's, etc. She doesn't know about my TES obsession, and right now she doesn't need to know about it. TES is 'Renee' time. That's me. I'm Renee.

3). I have to have a particular substance available. Or a glass of red wine. I usually have a little buzz going while I game. Nothing over-the-top, just a little buzz.

4). Immersion complete!

5). Oh, and I often have the door open. I have a glass door which leads out onto a porch area. If I leave the door open, this time of year I get to hear spring peepers singing in a marsh behind my home. Spring peepers are little frogs. Summer time? There willl be crickets and katydids.

Having the sounds of birds, insects, wind, rain, frogs (etc) in the background from behind my home also adds its own sort of immersion. Sometimes it's hard to know where the game's sounds end and where the actual forest begins.

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This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Apr 7 2012, 01:23 AM