Maybe I'm just being bitter because all the good
mods are gone, but the current trend toward "realistic"
shooters bugs me.
First off, realistic shooters give an inherent advantage to
LPBs. Their lower
latency usually allows them the first shot. In an
old-school deathmatch, this isn't all that important, because you're armored/healthed enough to take a hit or two. But if you're playing a "realistic" shooter, that one hit hurts (varies from game to game, of course). The same applies to
locational damage- only those who have a good enough
connection to hit a specific location can really benefit from it.
Secondly, realism doesn't necessarily make for better
gameplay. Realism, as
Gabe Newell put it, should be used as a
reference point, so that the players understand what they're doing. Bludgeoning players with silly gameplay restrictions (i.e.,
falling damage) merely cripples the gameplay.
Thirdly, The rise of "realistic" mods has caused a decline in the number of truly new mods. All the new mods seem to be
Counterstrike clones. Everyone's idea seems to be "Hey! I'll
port CS to UT!"- gee, how
innovative.
Lastly, they're just unimaginative. Little thought goes into the design- everything's based off of the specs on that actual weapon, not based upon some really cool idea the designer had. This saddens me.
So call me bitter if you like, but I long for the days of the original
Quake.