Realistic Shooter
by none · in General Discussion · 01/23/2012 (5:14 pm) · 9 replies
Hi everyone! I was hoping to start a discussion about what makes an FPS game "realistic" or somewhat of a "simulation." What features make you say this game is realistic over games like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor? What features would be cool to add that would achieve this realism? Tell me what you think, I'm putting the story together for my game right now and I want to make it somewhat realistic. Thanks!
#2
- Stand/crouch/prone!
In terms of the story, I think the things people pick on CoD/MoH for are the over-the-top sequences like snowmobile chases and the general disregard for how militaries actually operate. All you need do is ask yourself "how likely is this situation to appear in a James Bond story?" That said, Telling a 'realistic' military story is probably going to leave gamers a little disappointed with the action. See The Hurt Locker for a good example, though even that film was criticised for an unrealistic portrayal of how much freedom the bomb squad had to roam round to whichever hotspur required their attention.
TVTropes is a great source for writing any sort of media. Have a look at the tropes that appear in your favorite shooter, and have a think about why they may be good, bad, realistic or unrealistic. Not all tropes are bad/unrealistic!
01/24/2012 (12:17 am)
- Inaccurate firing when moving- Stand/crouch/prone!
In terms of the story, I think the things people pick on CoD/MoH for are the over-the-top sequences like snowmobile chases and the general disregard for how militaries actually operate. All you need do is ask yourself "how likely is this situation to appear in a James Bond story?" That said, Telling a 'realistic' military story is probably going to leave gamers a little disappointed with the action. See The Hurt Locker for a good example, though even that film was criticised for an unrealistic portrayal of how much freedom the bomb squad had to roam round to whichever hotspur required their attention.
TVTropes is a great source for writing any sort of media. Have a look at the tropes that appear in your favorite shooter, and have a think about why they may be good, bad, realistic or unrealistic. Not all tropes are bad/unrealistic!
#3
Many moons ago when I played CoD I had a mod which gave you kill range - even sniper rifles couldn't get a kill beyond 100 meters/yards.
Inaccurate fire in general. I remember reading somewhere that gave statistics on the WW2 and the enormous amount of munitions used per kill recorded, and a British unit in Afghanistan recently used 1 million rounds during their 6 month tour. Having the adrenalin pumping and breathing hard negatively affects accuracy.
Also beware TvTropes, it's as funny as it is interesting and you can lose your life inside it ;)
ArmA is certainly my choice for realism ... even if the Ai are terribly cheaty. You spend a lot of time hugging the ground wondering where the hell those rounds are coming from.
01/24/2012 (7:15 am)
Long engagement ranges. It seems every 3A FPS thinks a battle takes place at 20 feet ...Many moons ago when I played CoD I had a mod which gave you kill range - even sniper rifles couldn't get a kill beyond 100 meters/yards.
Inaccurate fire in general. I remember reading somewhere that gave statistics on the WW2 and the enormous amount of munitions used per kill recorded, and a British unit in Afghanistan recently used 1 million rounds during their 6 month tour. Having the adrenalin pumping and breathing hard negatively affects accuracy.
Also beware TvTropes, it's as funny as it is interesting and you can lose your life inside it ;)
ArmA is certainly my choice for realism ... even if the Ai are terribly cheaty. You spend a lot of time hugging the ground wondering where the hell those rounds are coming from.
#4
Thanks for all of the suggestions! I'm gonna make a list of things I want to add and after determining whether or not they're possible, I guess that will decide whether I go Realistic/Simulation or SemiRealistic
01/24/2012 (1:04 pm)
Thanks guys! I just bought ArmA to take a look at it! I have both Operation Flashpoints for PS3 so I'll play those a bit and I've been a long time fan of Rainbow Six.Thanks for all of the suggestions! I'm gonna make a list of things I want to add and after determining whether or not they're possible, I guess that will decide whether I go Realistic/Simulation or SemiRealistic
#5
Non abstract magazines, have each clip be handled as a separate ammo storage, where a tactical reload put back in your inventory a half empty clip instead of simply topping off your weapon.
If you've never shot a gun in your life, get a few rounds down a range, nothing replace firing the actual thing in order to grasp the kind of feeback the weapon gives you as you shoot.
Add to this the usual non regenerative health and you are pretty much on the way.
However you can also add supressive properties to getting fired at, which wear off with time.
However, too much realism kill realism, at some point you have to let realism take a step back in the name of fun.
01/24/2012 (9:45 pm)
Realistic FPS games tend to portray extreme weapon letality (1 shot kills) but at the same time feature much longer engagement distances, camoflages and natural surroundings where a soldier is much harder to spot precisely.Non abstract magazines, have each clip be handled as a separate ammo storage, where a tactical reload put back in your inventory a half empty clip instead of simply topping off your weapon.
If you've never shot a gun in your life, get a few rounds down a range, nothing replace firing the actual thing in order to grasp the kind of feeback the weapon gives you as you shoot.
Add to this the usual non regenerative health and you are pretty much on the way.
However you can also add supressive properties to getting fired at, which wear off with time.
However, too much realism kill realism, at some point you have to let realism take a step back in the name of fun.
#6
What Kyrah mentioned above definitely comes into play. Putting new rounds into a magazine takes time. In a firefight, if you're keeping up with your bullet count and you know you're clip is about empty, you change the clip and pretty much throw those remainder rounds away, although you can recover the rounds once there isn't a threat if you want. More experienced individuals can tell when the clip is almost empty just by feeling the weight of the weapon.
Adrenaline plays a huge role as well. When adrenaline is up your aim can suffer, however, you'll move more quickly and for a longer period of time. So for example, in an "undetected" state, aim would be improved but your top speed would probably be a little slower.
Weapon accuracy is a big factor as well. I love all the games where you shoot a guy 300 yards away with a handgun. Good luck doing that in real life. It's not even a practical move. It's not worth the risk or the ammo to take a shot like that.
Weather also makes a huge difference. It's a lot harder to keep a steady aim if it's cold as b*lls and you're shivering constantly. Heavy rain can even jam up some weapons and heat can cause mirages that can make it a bit more difficult to get a bead on a target at a long distance.
Add in the usual factors like wind, bullet velocity, and distance and you have quite a few things that can definitely make your game/simulation more realistic. Also, it can be very difficult to tell where you're getting shot at from. Especially during the daytime. At least at night you can see the muzzle flash and if they're using tracer rounds, you can see the bullets.
01/25/2012 (3:48 pm)
Depending on how real you would like to make it, stamina plays a HUGE factor in real life. How much equipment are they carrying and how much does it weigh? If you're traveling light, you can move faster, easier, and for longer periods of time. Sure the guns definitely have some weight to them, especially the bigger ones, but honestly the ammo is what can really weigh a person down. Also, trying to fight on an empty stomach or especially being dehydrated can effect aim, movement, and general awareness. Metal Gear Solid 3 tried to implement this a little bit which was pretty cool.What Kyrah mentioned above definitely comes into play. Putting new rounds into a magazine takes time. In a firefight, if you're keeping up with your bullet count and you know you're clip is about empty, you change the clip and pretty much throw those remainder rounds away, although you can recover the rounds once there isn't a threat if you want. More experienced individuals can tell when the clip is almost empty just by feeling the weight of the weapon.
Adrenaline plays a huge role as well. When adrenaline is up your aim can suffer, however, you'll move more quickly and for a longer period of time. So for example, in an "undetected" state, aim would be improved but your top speed would probably be a little slower.
Weapon accuracy is a big factor as well. I love all the games where you shoot a guy 300 yards away with a handgun. Good luck doing that in real life. It's not even a practical move. It's not worth the risk or the ammo to take a shot like that.
Weather also makes a huge difference. It's a lot harder to keep a steady aim if it's cold as b*lls and you're shivering constantly. Heavy rain can even jam up some weapons and heat can cause mirages that can make it a bit more difficult to get a bead on a target at a long distance.
Add in the usual factors like wind, bullet velocity, and distance and you have quite a few things that can definitely make your game/simulation more realistic. Also, it can be very difficult to tell where you're getting shot at from. Especially during the daytime. At least at night you can see the muzzle flash and if they're using tracer rounds, you can see the bullets.
#7
01/25/2012 (7:38 pm)
Awesome tips guys! These are some great ideas! I have the idea of huge battlefield where players are scouting for enemies and on their march having to hunker down and eat some food to restore their energy/fatigue while say miles away another group of players are getting ambushed. I've been playing ArmA and I'm hooked. I'm really liking the realistic game style! Thanks everyone for the ideas! 
#8
Especially the M16A2- you had to whisper the word "dirt" around that thing. Weapons can be touchy things. Double-feeds (two rounds fed into the chamber, needing manual clearance- though I had it happen on a MK-19 grenade launcher with two unexploded rounds), stove-pipes (round not completely ejected from the chamber, which happens for pistols mostly), and if you're firing your weapon for a long time, and it doesn' have a barrel to swap out (like assault rifles), you'll start cooking rounds off and turn it into a full-auto (I don't know about now, but M16A2's did this if fired intensely for several minutes).
Also, for aiming, the shaking of aim is always there. As a matter of fact, if you sit there and just aim down range, you'll notice the muzzle moves in a slight "infinity" pattern from your breathing, and jumps very slightly from your heartbeat (you can try to time your shots between those beats...but I'm pretty sure that's quickly forgotten by those in combat). These things are really more to do with the rifle-range or long-distance sniping than the closer combat in FPS games, though.
Hope that helps.
01/26/2012 (5:04 am)
Two words: Weapon. Jams.Especially the M16A2- you had to whisper the word "dirt" around that thing. Weapons can be touchy things. Double-feeds (two rounds fed into the chamber, needing manual clearance- though I had it happen on a MK-19 grenade launcher with two unexploded rounds), stove-pipes (round not completely ejected from the chamber, which happens for pistols mostly), and if you're firing your weapon for a long time, and it doesn' have a barrel to swap out (like assault rifles), you'll start cooking rounds off and turn it into a full-auto (I don't know about now, but M16A2's did this if fired intensely for several minutes).
Also, for aiming, the shaking of aim is always there. As a matter of fact, if you sit there and just aim down range, you'll notice the muzzle moves in a slight "infinity" pattern from your breathing, and jumps very slightly from your heartbeat (you can try to time your shots between those beats...but I'm pretty sure that's quickly forgotten by those in combat). These things are really more to do with the rifle-range or long-distance sniping than the closer combat in FPS games, though.
Hope that helps.
#9
01/26/2012 (3:32 pm)
Thanks! I'm actually trying to give guns their real range as opposed to what I noticed in Rainbow Six where you can slap a scope on any gun and call it a sniper. I've implemented the bullet drop and now its just a matter of setting up to a realistic measure. Jams will be very high on the list of things I need to do! I'm using TGE 1.5.2 (outdated, I know) so that way more people (including myself) can actually play it and huge battlefields wont be as much of a problem for them. I'm thinking jamming can be a separate weapon state that randomly occurs while shooting semi or full or burst or whatever but has a higher chance on the full auto. As soon as I get most of my art done, I'm going to research buttloads to make these guns as accurate as possible! Its always great to talk to people who have actually had experience with a weapons system! Thanks for your input Ted! 
Employee Michael Perry
ZombieShortbus
- 1 or 2 shot kills
- Disabling on single shots
- Much slower movement
- Proper terrain reaction, such as going slower uphill
- True fatigue
- More practical HUD elements
Great examples of making FPS games more realistic:
- Rainbow Six
- Operation Flashpoint
- Armed Assault
Examples of games converted to simulations:
- VBS
- VBS 2
The company I worked for partnered with Bohemia Interactive in the creation/improvement of VBS, which is the most commonly used FPS training software in the simulation industry.