Call of Duty 5: World at War

[Scott_Arm]

I would like to see americans fighting americans! I don't think that country can digest that!

A civil war game could actually be really cool. The western fps is sadly underused.

I just don't know if a civil war game could happen because of the racial subject matter. Probably too touchy. I suppose they could totally wash over the issues like they do in the WW2 games.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

We discussed alternative FPS zones before, but the major problem is there's really not a lot of shooting prior to WWI. Unless you think a 20 second reload minigame will be a fun addition, or standing around in a square formation getting shelled on is you're idea of good military combat, shooting combat prior to 1914 probably isn't much fun.

 

[upnorthsox]

A civil war game could actually be really cool. The western fps is sadly underused.

I just don't know if a civil war game could happen because of the racial subject matter. Probably too touchy. I suppose they could totally wash over the issues like they do in the WW2 games.

As almost all of the civil war was white on white I don't see racial matters as being an issue. The biggest issue is that most of the war was fought as charges from the scrimage line, considering the way lonewolfing has made even squad based coop difficult to attract players, trying to get them to line up shoulder to shoulder would be next to impossible.

The idea of western shootouts could appeal to the lonewolves but a string of 1on1's with no exotic weapons and limited ammo is probably a non-starter for most. In that case you have to throw in a horde of hollering indians to wipeout and then you're back in to the racial issue.

 

[AlNom]

We discussed alternative FPS zones before, but the major problem is there's really not a lot of shooting prior to WWI.

Indeed.. the only games I can think of that touch upon such wars is the Age of Empires series - RTS games in all.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

the other as-yet unexplored option is the fantasy shooter, which Project Offset is gonna take a stab at. That might open up the FPS genre to huge variety...but it might also just look kinda weird, and not really gel with shooter fans. Perhaps the FPS will evolve into more first person action, regardless of shooting-ness?

 

[fearsomepirate]

As almost all of the civil war was white on white I don't see racial matters as being an issue.

While there's probably no way to do it without sinning against political correctness, a bigger problem is that the Civil War was fought largely with carbines that took a while to load and by guys organized in fighting lines. As an FPS, it would be either boring or unbelievable. You'd spend a lot of time marching, loading, then firing on command.

 

[Scott_Arm]

We discussed alternative FPS zones before, but the major problem is there's really not a lot of shooting prior to WWI. Unless you think a 20 second reload minigame will be a fun addition, or standing around in a square formation getting shelled on is you're idea of good military combat, shooting combat prior to 1914 probably isn't much fun.

I guess muskets were still the primary weapon.

I guess the obvious answer is to make a vietnam war game. The technology is finally around to make a realistic jungle, so it could definitely work. I guess there's been a few that were ok, but nothing "next gen."

 

[DeadlyNinja]

Why not get the jump start and make a game about World War 3? It'll take place in the future with cool futuristic weapons! Oh wait... we have plenty of futuristic weapons in most sci-fi shooters. Still, it's never too early to start talking WWIII.

 

[obonicus]

Why not get the jump start and make a game about World War 3? It'll take place in the future with cool futuristic weapons! Oh wait... we have plenty of futuristic weapons in most sci-fi shooters. Still, it's never too early to start talking WWIII.

BF2142 was already WW3, essentially.

the other as-yet unexplored option is the fantasy shooter, which Project Offset is gonna take a stab at. That might open up the FPS genre to huge variety...but it might also just look kinda weird, and not really gel with shooter fans. Perhaps the FPS will evolve into more first person action, regardless of shooting-ness?

It's not really that new, though. Dark Messiah of Might and Magic was a fantasy first-person game, and before that we had games like Hexen or Heretic, which were actually pretty good.

 

[Rangers]

While there's probably no way to do it without sinning against political correctness, a bigger problem is that the Civil War was fought largely with carbines that took a while to load and by guys organized in fighting lines. As an FPS, it would be either boring or unbelievable. You'd spend a lot of time marching, loading, then firing on command.

Long reload times for your firearms could make for interesting strategy. In fact a whole wealth of seemingly cool ideas could take place in the civil war. Or even settlers versus Indians (more PC issues)

But maybe I'm overthinking things.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It's not really that new, though. Dark Messiah of Might and Magic was a fantasy first-person game, and before that we had games like Hexen or Heretic, which were actually pretty good.

They were weren't attracting the shooter crowd though, right? I'm think more of an evolutionary path. Stick a first-person fantasy adventure in front of an FPS fan and they may well snub it. Put a fantasy shooter in front and they may play it and enjoy it. Then add some more diversity in behaviour. Then add some complexity in characters. All in the major FPS multiplayer action vein. To my limited mind, nothing has really tried that before, but then i haven't followed either the shooter genre or the first-person fantasy genre, so what would I know?!

 

[nintenho]

Complaining about the lack of originality in FPS settings is pretty useless for call of duty. A lot of it's fans expect it to be in a realistic and "mature" setting. The game would never sell if it had you firing guns that don't exist. I mean, I expect that of the franchise but at least they do a good amount of improvements to the gameplay so the games are fun. I would personally love if more games didn't let you use a Tommy gun or a MP-5 because it's honestly gotten to the point where those guns feel stale.

 

[Nesh]

Thats not the setting we are discussing about. The game can still remain realistic and mature, with real life weapons and real life environments only not placed on the same scenarios and settings of the older ones.

 

[nintenho]

Thats not the setting we are discussing about. The game can still remain realistic and mature, with real life weapons and real life environments only not placed on the same scenarios and settings of the older ones.

It's a lot more complicated than just coming up with an interesting realistic setting with an interesting story. I'm guessing that gamers like it (quite a bit) that you're fighting somebody like Hitler or murderous Saddam look-alike. Thinking about that gets your mind off of the fact that you're shooting hundreds of soldiers that look like pretty realistic. I think that with how this game will have banzai charges and the flamethrower melting off the enemy's skin, the story could get a little darker and it won't be emphasizing how hard you need to fight to eliminate "insert ethnic group". that could be a long shot, who knows?

I do think that FPS games can be the most interesting in how they immerse the player though. Half-Life and Bioshock are perfect examples. Of course, hardly any games have the development times or writing quality of those games.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Some ideas for Call of Duty 6:

the war of 1812
the balkans
the bay of pigs
the hundred years war
the war on drugs (actually, running around in Colombia could be fun)
caveman tribal wars
the Anglo-Zanzibar war

 

[DeadlyNinja]

BF2142 was already WW3, essentially.

Damn, fine, WWIV then.

caveman tribal wars

I would buy this day one! I hope they can ride on dinosaurs.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Some ideas for Call of Duty 6:

the war of 1812

The choice of weapons might be a bit limiting. Blunderbuss, musket, bow and arrow, knife.

 

[fearsomepirate]

Long reload times for your firearms could make for interesting strategy.

Yeah, they kind of figured out centuries ago what kind of strategy works best with slow-fire rifles: have all your guys stand in rows, march where the CO tells them, fire on command, then fix bayonets and charge after a few volleys. It just wouldn't work as an FPS, which is why wars of that era tend to be represented in the RTS or TBS genres.

 

[AlNom]

well der... the solution is MMO.

 

[DeadlyNinja]

well der... the solution is MMO.

No, alien conspiracies!!! Abe Lincoln had the help of extra terrestrials who gave them superior fire arms to win the war. The aliens then back stab us, and the united states join up to fight back! Then we can have fast loading guns.