Information AboutGod Game |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GOD GAME | |
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'' for the Amiga .]] A god game is a computer Simulation Game that casts the player in the position of an entity with Divine or Supernatural powers, and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous mortals to guard and influence. In many god games, the player does not win or lose per se, but is challenged to attain and maintain a level of success and with the absence of goals or objectives the player often experiences a greater deal of freedom in such games than other genres. The genre has drawn the interest of some of the best-known game designers in the world, including Sid Meier , Brian Reynolds , Bruce Shelley , Don Daglow , Peter Molyneux and Will Wright . Often this category provided the game that launched the designer's career. Note that "god game" is spelled with a lower-case "g". NATURE OF GOD GAMES God games are characterized by gameplay in which the player makes optional interventions in the game world, for instance in the form of miracles or calamities, rather than being necessary for its continual progression. Unlike normal Strategy Game s, the user does not directly control the simulated inhabitants ("sims") of the game world; as a god, the player can affect the world and influence his subjects but not directly control them: i.e. there is a minimum of "click-select-order" gameplay. With some exceptions, god games tend toward large scales, where the player controls or affects entire realms, continents or worlds, which are viewed from an elevated, aloft ("god-like") perspective. In '' Black & White '', renowned for its innovative and experimental user interface, the user interacts with the world through the "Hand of God", which can move or form the world, or even grab villagers (generally a frightening experience for them). By performing physical miracles, the user earns worship in early stages of the game; mana that is earned from worship can in turn be used to perform miracles by gesturing arcane signs. '' The Sims '', on the other hand has a more conventional interface where the user directs their sims' desires through HUD icons. In '' Populous '' the sims were directed by placing "papal magnets", which attracted them, as well as by offering revelations to selected subjects making them prophets and instruments of the user's will. In god games, the game world is often relatively self-sustaining and persistent. There have been assertions that any "game" without win and loss conditions should not be considered a game by definition. Possibly the most famous of these was made by Will Wright, who prefers to call his creations Software Toy s rather than games. Examples of such god games are '' Little Computer People '' and '' The Sims ''. HISTORY The first god game of the above described kind (large-scale, aloft-perspective) on a console was '' Utopia '' by Don Daglow on Intellivision (1982), while the first such game on a personal computer was '' Populous '' by Peter Molyneux of Bullfrog Productions (1989), both titles which have been placed in GameSpy 's Video Game Hall of Fame. SCOPE OF GOD GAMES God games come in a wide variety, from abstract or mathematic simulators to creative or conventional games. In most god games the game is observed from an aloft, elevated perspective, however '' Little Computer People '' was viewed from the side. Many popular god games, like Bullfrog's ''Populous'' and Lionhead's '' Black & White '' are games of territorial domination while others, like '' SimEarth '', are not. In some notable games, like ''Little Computer People'' and ''The Sims'' the player controls only one or some very few simulated individuals, providing for and guiding their lives, while in some god games the user plays a godlike entity that controls entire continents or worlds. In ''Black & White'', the player guides a nation of up to thousands. City, nation, and world level god games, where the player manipulates tens to thousands of followers, include:
Individual level god games, where the player manipulates one to a handful of creatures, include:
'' Spore '' by Will Wright (yet to be released) has been advertised as providing elements of both these variations. RELATED GENRES Sibling genres to and sometimes mutually confused with god games include City-building Game s, like '' SimCity '', and Economic Simulations , like '' Railroad Tycoon '' and other Tycoon games. The chief difference is that in such games the player normally has no supernatural abilities to influence the world or its inhabitants. REFERENCES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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