Games have to have limits to the space that you can explore (well with the exception of Minecraft) and a common method is having the game's playable arena surrounded by sea. Seems fair enough. Wait a minute... Actually an ocean I can understand and for me it's a rational mechanic to keep a player in a certain area, as are locked doors and walls clearly too high to climb - but three foot high impenetrable bushes and invisible barriers I will not have. Why do game developers feel this is acceptable? They pile office desks, sofas and trash cans on stairways as a way of indicating that you can't go that way but I'm some tough grunt with full Army training I'm sure I can move a couple of chairs and some suitcases to further explorer the upper levels. Even if there's nothing up there of interest just let me do it. Game developers have been restricting player movement into mandatory set paths for so long now it spawned a name - corridor shooter. You literally are been forced down well-rendered corridors and any attempt to leave the preset path will be met with failure. Why not just have us play on rails shooting from there, oh wait that's also the name for a certain type of game. Game developers need to open their programming horizons so us as players can have gameplay horizons opened too. Buildings should be procedurally generated to allow for incredible exploration and freedom. I want to enjoy the whole fairground not be tied to the ghost train. No more stacked up furniture, no more glass walls and no more restrictions.
A Welsh semi-retired television producer and actor known for low end work that astonishingly people actually watched and even garnered some awards. Originally residing in the electrically-challenged Amish areas of Pennsylvania he has written a few books (Hollywood Pants and Hollywood Horrible Hints and Terribly Fake Tips vols 1 & 2) which you can buy on amazon and all great book stores.
After a brief stint in Australia he now finds himself back in the Welsh valleys of his home country noting that it hasn't changed a bit!
