It's no secret that I'm a fairly opinionated person: Disco? Hated it then, hate it now. Soccer? No matter what the rest of the world says, it's not football. It's soccer -- period. Most of the free world wouldn't be playing football if we hadn't saved their asses (I can just see the hate mail arriving already), so I think we can call soccer what we please. I could go on, but since I'm sure that my personal opinions, although fascinating, aren't as interesting to you as they are to me, I won't.

What's eating me is this: Someone tell me why, with all the creative talent in the industry, we still can't seem to get a game with a plausible beginning. Case in point (I mentioned this one before in a previous article, for those of you keeping score) -- Metal Gear Solid. Solid Snake, the world's best counter-terrorist badass, goes in COMPLETELY unarmed. I mean, not even a hangnail to scratch enemies with.

If a developer wants me to start the game unarmed, then create a story line that makes that happen plausibly. Half-Life is a classic example. You don't expect Gordon Freeman to have a weapon on him, so it's completely believable that he has none to start with. Never mind that he's the best marksman to ever wear a lab coat. DOOM at least attempted to explain your lack of armament (sole survivor, etc..). Even Wolfenstein 3D had a more plausible beginning -- you were in prison. Er, maybe that's not plausible -- who ever heard of a prisoner without a weapon or two? But I digress…

Maybe it's just me, but if I were the commanding officer and I was sending one special operative in to save the world, you can be that that soldier would be packing everything he (or she, for you NOLF fans) could carry. None of this, "Oh hey! What a cool weapon that my own army produces! Sure could have used this 32 missions ago!" Play balancing through limiting weapon availability is a developer trick that is a lazy shortcut. Instead, why not make the weapons available, but then limit what I can do with them?

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In an FPS, for instance, let's just say (using DOOM weapons as examples here) that I start off with everything. The developer doesn't want me using the larger weapons just yet. However, I'd love to cut loose with my trusty BFG or Rocket Launcher in Mission 1, and I will unless I've got a reason not to let 'er rip. How does the developer fix this? Simple -- make it so that using anything loud or powerful will alert all the soldiers in a nearby barracks, and nothing I have can take down all of them. So, I'll have to use something less noisy…like, my fists. Limiting ammo also works and gives you something else to search for in the levels. See how that works? Same result, but it just feels better than starting me off with just my fists for no reason…

Then we come to Undying, Clive Barker's cool supernatural thriller. Why on earth would our hero claim to be any sort of ghostbuster with only that rock and a pistol on him? He gains all his abilities as he goes along. A better way to accomplish this would have been to let him start with all his abilities, but lose them through some plot event, or have them not work due to some supernatural factor.

Deus Ex came close to pulling this off perfectly. Kingpin did it as well. Both prove that it can be done, and it really adds an extra level of realism to the game. Serious Sam did a good job, because most of the more powerful weapons were available in secret areas early in the game if you just took the time to look around.

But I guess there is a balancing act here. Too much realism can kill fast-paced gameplay. Ever sit through a Counter-Strike match when the last two guys are hiding from each other, refusing to come out? That's realism for you -- zZzZzZ. Most RPGs take realism (even in fantasy settings) a bit to far when it comes to weapon/spell balancing. I mean, don't you think most people could locate a decent-sized knife on their own instead of having to dig manure to earn the cash to buy one (or make one)?

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way…what do you think? Tired of games that treat your character like a mildly retarded 1st grader? Let us know in the forums. Maybe you've got some better ideas. If so, do us all a favor and go make a game with them, ok?