Which would you choose?

[Digit]

A theoretical question that I often like to ask people about games, is if you had a choice, in a theoretical FPS game, would you prefer to have a graphically good looking weapon with an excellent sound effect for it when it was interacted with (fired/reloaded/rifle-butted etc), or would you like an excellent looking weapon with just a good sound effect for it?

Think about this, and what each component means to you when playing games, and how it would effect different situations, and also how you think spectators would react and so on.

Once again, pretend you have a pretty good FPS game and you are thinking solely about one weapon, would you prefer that weapon to have an excellent sound effect and just good graphics, or would you rather it had excellent graphics and just a good sound effect.

Lets here the choice, and why you chose it over the alternative. To clarify excellent and good - good is basically nothing amazing, yet it doesn't make you want to gouge your eyes out when you see it, or cover your ears when you hear it. It's basically nothing remarkable. Excellent is the top end of the scale, an absolutely amazing degree of detail on the weapon, or the most incredible sound effect you can imagine.

Answers on a well presented postcard.
Thanks!

Digit

 

[micro]

Well the weapon is the first thing you notice when you first start to play a fsp. But after a while it is the overall gameplay/graphics/sounds that draw you in. So my choice would be the sound of the gun.

Good graphics
Excelent sound

 

[SteelDisciple]

Great question!!

I'll say GOOD weapon, but GREAT sound effects. Simply because graphics only go so far...once the player has been playing with that weapon long enough, he won't care so much about the look of the weapon.

However, sound is a very powerful perception. Even more than visual in some cases. That sound is going to be heard consistantly through out the game...so it needs to be quality gold to be enjoyable and atmospheric.

In the heat of battle, you don't look at how pretty your weapon is...but the sound still hits you no matter what.

when I was a developer, I always took sound over graphics...not to say you should scimp on the graphics though.

 

[Chrome]

sounds over looks. Give me a simple looking revolver that thunders over the other weapons than one that looks flashy, but sounds like just a 'pistol'.

Ballistic Weapons for UT2004 is a great example of a good sound, realism, and looks balance in FPS weapons.

 

[Digit]

Interesting responses, any others?

What do you think spectators will make of your choice when watching you play the game, do you think it will leave a good or bad impression?

Cheers!
Digit

 

[Psalms34]

Looks. Games just don’t really succeed based on merit of sound. Looks are fairly simplistic, though, animation is important for the model since it is a part of that model (3d mesh) and effects it, can even ruin it by deformations. Basically you are asking what is preferred, graphics or sound, and obviously it’s graphics if it must be one or the other. Depending on the genre, typically it is a matter of balance, however.

 

[Dust and Ashes]

I'd choose good graphic, excellent sound. I look at the reticle rather than the gun but the sound helps me more with immersion. That could just be because I used to collect guns as a hobby and find it distracting if a shotgun doesn't sound like a shotgun or a pistol doesn't sound like a pistol.

 

[Digit]

Looks. Games just don’t really succeed based on merit of sound.

That's a fair statement and true enough.

Basically you are asking what is preferred, graphics or sound, and obviously it’s graphics if it must be one or the other.

I think in order to properly answer the question, a gamer needs to assess what each area means to them, how it affects the things they find important to them and then reach a conclusion. I am definitely not asking which is more important - graphics or sfx - however, if I was, I simply would have asked that outright without muddying it with anything else.

Cheers!
Digit

 

[SAint Mark]

Excellent sounds! Good graphics.