Re:Gameplay vs. Technology (Score 1)

The devil is in the details. A deathmatch action game isn't an original idea, but the keen implementation shows that id Software does know something about game design, at least on an instinctual level. Game design particulars such as control sensitivity, movement speed, jumping physics, weapon damage, and reload time are minute in themselves but nevertheless require a decision to be made. These hundreds of decisions add up to make or break a fun gameplay experience. A testament to my claim is that the tournament gaming scene has embraced Quake 3 ( http://www.thecpl.com/index.html?p=schedule ) as the deathmatch game of choice, while largely ignoring the competition. This is not by accident or politics but rather because Quake 3 has demonstrated to players that it has solid and balanced gameplay. id Software may not have the most original ideas, but their implementation shows they are quite competent at game design. As they say, it's much better to have a good follow through with a bad idea than vice-versa. dreaver