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Does tension trump action in multiplayer games?
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I'm wondering this after reading a post about ARMA vs. Battlefield, ARMA obviously creating more tension with greater consequences for failure where as Battlefield is more action-based, with reduced consequences for failure.

This difference in consequence is what separates the style of these two games and what makes them fun. ARMA builds tension, every shootout is life threatening and potentially game ending for you, there's more on the line, your blood pressure rises and you start shaking in the knees. Essentially, a true combat simulator.

Battlefield strives for fast paced action. You're not too concerned with death, it's a mere annoyance in the grand scheme of the game when you know you're going to respawn a few seconds later. Not much on the line, you can relax and just enjoy blowing stuff up and shooting other people.

Essentially, the difference relies on consequences and the weight of the player's choices. In multiplayer games, no two encounters are ever the same. When you're playing CoD, your choices really aren't important because failing (dying) isn't a big deal. You can shoot here, throw a grenade there, and eventually get shot without worrying too much.

But in a game where the consequences are raised to some more extreme heights, like say you're permanently banned from the server for a few days or at least until the current game is over, your choices carry much more weight to them. Should I try to shoot now or should I move up? Do I use my grenade now or save it for later?

So, does tension trump action? Or are both games equally fun in their own right? What are some strengths and weaknesses to both kinds of games? How difficult it is to market an ARMA style game to a lifetime CoD player, and vice versa?

Thanks! :D

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11 years ago