Hi Tom.
I agree that both addons and random content would be good, though Draconis
isn't the only audio game developer who have tried this, look at Zero site
and the addon for the game (an addon which actually adds randomly generating
missions).
I will say however there is another serious factor in audio games which
removes replay value.
There are mainstream games like super metroid ormega man x that I have
played innumerable times, know where every item is etc, yet I find I replay
them far more than something like shades or Gma tank commander, and a game
like Marrio brothers I am still! going back to occasionally just to see if I
can finish the levels I've not done yet.
When I ask myself what makes a game like marrio brothers more replayable
than something like Shades, the answer I come up with is design mechanics.
One faq writer (brian sulpher, who's name gamefaqs devotees may recognize),
once said of the game Donkey Kong Country 2 on the snes something like
"even though I've been through this game hundreds of times, I find myself
being surprised by enemies, needing to really practice to get past a boss or
being taken by surprise" (it's in his dkc2 faq if people want to check).
This to me is part of the appeal of mechanically well designed games, that
they have a game engine nd mechanics which are like a sport or a musical
instrument. They require the player not merely to learn and react to
stimulai, but to train her/his reflexes up to a point that the character
movement and engine are mentally ingraned. This is one arguement I've heard
from retro gamers as well, that games these days are easier because they
require less split second judgement in the game.
Some audio games have of course come close to this sort of mechanic,
particularly games like lone wolf or swamp, however many haven't. though I
regard Shades of doom as a completely well designed game, once you know
where monsters are and can turn and attack them quickly your pretty much
through. There is no need for example to adjust to the way your own
character moves,to assess monster movements in different areas, or to allow
weapon fire time to hit a given monster.
this is because fundamentally with the lack of information available in
audio most of the games have worked on a stimulus response model, and also
why most of the audio games I find myself replaying and being surprised by
are not action titles but games like castaways, time of conflict or entombed
that do not basically require the players reflexes.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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