Scores

[FullAuto]

How do you feel about scores in games?

I know people who hate them (generally the ones scared of real competition) and those who love them (those desperate to prove how great they are). I'm in the latter, I'm afraid, simply because in the past I've won (and lost) sums of money wagering on such trivial things as getting a high score, and also because it's a clear indicator of how well you're doing in a game. It's undisputable proof. It can also add more incentive to a game, to get your name on the high score board, or at the toop of the list once you have a foothold.

Because I'm so mentally unstable and completely incapable of compromising, I think every game should have a score. I know some eschew this. I believe this to be folly.

Please refute, support or mock as you see fit.

[Accounting Troll]

The FA Cup would look a bit daft if they didn't keep track of how many goals each side scored during the course of a football match

[Kret]

I think FA was refering to something along the lines of videogame's hi-score tables. If this is the case, I would say that the scoring has always been there for most games, but has "adapted" and "evolved" to suit the taste of today's gamers. Particulary since most gamers that like to go into vs other human competition do it in either head-2-head games or in LAN "browls".

 

One particulary big thorn in the scoring is the fact that there's much cheating in it and thus actually takes away the enjoyment of many gamers away from this concept.

 

I like the scoring but only among friends and family as they are usually in arms reach for a good knuckle sandwich if they become obnoxious loudmouthes

[FullAuto]

One particulary big thorn in the scoring is the fact that there's much cheating in it and thus actually takes away the enjoyment of many gamers away from this concept.

 

I like the scoring but only among friends and family as they are usually in arms reach for a good knuckle sandwich if they become obnoxious loudmouthes

 

I can empathise with both points. Cheating sods and their damn Action Replay devices. I can almost see the point if you're stuck on a particular level, but cheating to get a high score?

Scum.

 

I love a bit of friendly competition, although this backfired once when my brother repeatedly whipped me with a PS2 pad after I beat him one too many times.

[Matri]

I can empathise with both points.  Cheating sods and their damn Action Replay devices.  I can almost see the point if you're stuck on a particular level, but cheating to get a high score?

Scum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sadly enough, I have encountered many such people. They cheat and post their ridiculously high scores, brag about as if it was man's greatest achievement, and summarily flame and bash anyone who doesn't agree.

[NKF]

Scores do indeed serve their purpose. Competition is good, and even if it's only against yourself.

 

But like everything else, it all depends. What scores are kept? How are the scores determined? How are scores measured? What's the form of score?

 

I mean, it's easy to get a 1000 points for defeating certain enemies, but you could be a real bad player and still get a high score, or you could be a very good player and get an incredibly low score due to cutting a few unnecessary corners (like not picking up all the trinkets in a level).

 

Scoring can also come in many forms.

 

Are they just a number of something that you can actually make use of? For example, coins in a Mario or rings in a Sonic game are not just to increase your score, but act as a hundredth of an extra chance. Or like in your stereotypical computer RPG - experience points are you score, the more you have, the more powerful skills and abilities are released. Games like the first Resident Evil have save tokens. The less you use, the better the outcome at the end. The time you took to get through the game is also a form of scoring for a lot of games, with different rewards in the process. In games like Thief, scoring involved how many trinkets you were able to steal throughout a level and how many human guards you killed. The more trinkets you stole and the less guards you killed, the better you are at clearing the level the way the designers designed it to.

 

Unfortunately, some forms of scoring can promote ego inflation. That's not too bad, as a small confidence boost can sometimes go a long way. But when it's overinflated, that's when the trouble happens. Not that it's a bad thing either, as anyone can come along and push a pin in. No matter how good you think you are, there are always better people out there. It's mainly when immature egos face one another and there's a bit of whining, arrogance, face rubbing, cheating and crying over a simple game when scores are detrimental. But that is only a fault of the people involved rather than the scoring system. It's just our nature. People (and I include myself in this) can be stupid.

 

Actually, you know, I've only just woken up and I haven't a clue what I'm writing about due to my disorientation. I think I'll stop now and go have my breakfast...or was it lunch?

 

- NKF

[FullAuto]

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did get 84,000,000 points."

 

My. Arse. I hate people like that. Especially when they post a screenshot and expect you to go "Oh, sorry, what a fool I've been not to believe you all along." As if using cheats means you can't get a screenshot. What irks me is their socres are astronomical, they don't try to tack on ten thousand or so to their best, they treble it and add a few zeros and then expect everyone to believe them.

Humanity at it's most retarded.

[sir-roosio]

Scores are great. not just in arcady games though, I love super realistic games (see my review for energy airforce) then it gives you a score at the end, its great!

 

I think games like Gran Turismo should have scores in them! I know it's not wuite the same as burnout 3, but it would be nice to have say, a par lap time for each track depending on the car you're in, subtract points for hitting walls, or losing control, and you can see if you need to improve or not, it's nearly there with the licence tests just needs to go a bit further (IMHO)!

[FullAuto]

I think pretty much every game should have a score, not just because it's a good way of spurring your friends on when you beat them, but also because it's an excellent and obvious way to gauge your own progress.

 

I mean, it's easy to get a 1000 points for defeating certain enemies, but you could be a real bad player and still get a high score, or you could be a very good player and get an incredibly low score due to cutting a few unnecessary corners (like not picking up all the trinkets in a level).

 

Generally, in this sort of situation I find you're doing not very well on your first way through, just trying to survive and finish the section, but on replays you get more ambitious and start going for higher and higher scores. On Res Evil, you'll save less and less, on shmups you'll try and get every wave of enemies, on racing games you really fling your car into those corners, on FPS you really kick off an all-out attack as soon as the game starts.

[Ivory]

scores as a way of marking your own progress are a good thing, but they often are used to mock or persectute those who do no achieve high marks/scores. It is this negative attitude that goes with many "scoring" games that i dislike.

[sir-roosio]

????? they should get there damn arses in gear and improve their score then! cretins!

[Ivory]

sir roosio, you are as always unfunny.

[Accounting Troll]

With some games, a detailed breakdoiwn of your score can tell you what bits you are good at and what bits you need to improve. This can be useful if you play that game in multiplayer mode.

 

I can't stand it when people go around boasting 'my score is bigger than yours'. They seem to have missed the point that computer games are a LEISURE activity. If you are specifically concentrating on getting a massive score then you are probably missing out on the fun of playing the game.

 

As far as computer games are concerned, I think that winning is less important than how you play the game.

[Ivory]

accounting troll-true gems of wisdom....of course it could be a case of rich people say money doesnt matter

[Blehm 98]

well, he has a point, i have never actually gotten around to beating TFTD or Xcom, i would restart a new game at that point. Or in other words, beating it didn't matter, although i'll beat both some day

[Ivory]

well let us know when you do!

[Kernel]

Hmm... well acording to this government in the UK...

Score tables promote competition amoungst childeren which must be stopped. No child is alowed to be considered "better" than another child just because they scored more point/come first in a race/whatever....

 

Did you know that schools are no longer allowed to hold "Sports competitions" on sports day? They must be called "Sports Events". And they are no longer able to give points or awards for pupils that come first in races or other "Sporting Events".

 

Because "competition is bad... everyone must be equal".... I mean.... WTF!!!???

[Matri]

Exactly. I mean, they can't possibly not be aware of the fact that the rest of us has no say in every rule they make, right?

 

"Everyone must be equal" my foot...

[FullAuto]

I don't know, generally after owning a game for a week I'll come online and see how my best score compares (usually to people who've been playing it so much their eyes bleed) and then go back and play on it for another ten hours non-stop to get something more respectable.

I do a lot of multiplayer gaming when I get the chance, and I don't knock anyone if I do well. It's not just about how good you are, it's the amount of time you've played on it and what type of game it is and all sorts of other factors.

I have a friend who can beat me black and blue at racing games. I can kick his arse at FPS. There's some good-natured back and forth, but that's it. It doesn't matter how much or how hard you compete, as long as you do it with a bit of sportsmanship, there's never any problems.

The problem isn't competing, the problem is the prevalent attitudes.

[NKF]

Accounting Troll: You've put in words the philosphy I've been unconsciously going by for ages. It's the playing, not the winning. Of course, this depends on the game, too. But that's another can of worms.

 

I remember back when competition wasn't everything... I recall a time a long time ago when I was playing a Multiplayer Quake game on a local server. I'm an average player at best, but I found myself just blowing over the cheaters and the veterans alike ( to be fair, I was being blown to bits just as frequently as well). Much fun was to be had. At the end of the match, when practically everyone had left, I was left with one opponent, who was clearly stumbling. One thing led to another and I ended up coaching the player.

 

I don't know why, but this felt a lot more more fulfilling than the stupid kill count and my fair keyboarding skills (no, I had yet to pick up the mouse as an FPS input device).

 

But as usual, that's just me.

 

- NKF

[Kernel]

We used to play Quake 1 games at college on the network after college finished. A small group of us used to beat the crap out of the n00bs who were playing using the keyboard on it's own while we were using mouse and keyboard.

 

A rocket to the top of the head from above was a regular occurance when they couldn't look up or down.

 

Also in one game the message "Donkey was squished" just had the whole room burst out in laughter.

 

The n00bs learnt pretty quickly playing with us... they HAD to!

[sir-roosio]

I did the same at college, downloaded a unreal tourny demo and put it across the network for a bit LAN shooting chaos.

 

Ever noticed how girls are really sneaky at shooting games. they tend to lurk for the whole game picking you off as you run past shooting like a loon at someone else.

 

It's just not cricket I tell you!

[FullAuto]

I've had the chance to play a few girls at Halo, and while the lads are running around, empty bullet casings flying, screaming war cries, they're stood off to one side sniping you or bouncing grenades off your head.

And it wasn't girls that put me off playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live either. Bastards.

[Kernel]

We had a few girls play Quake with us as well, we decided to show one of them where the rocket launcher was and the kind of damage you can do with it... THAT was a mistake!! When she was playing you were lucky to be alive for 30 seconds before you got a rocket to the face... even if you were on her team!