[Somewhat angry rant] Is anyone else sick of planes getting the shaft in open world games?

Discussion in 'Unrelated Discussion' started by tehtrekd, July 30, 2014.

  1. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    Anyone else notice that, apart from commuting, planes are almost always useless in open world games?
    I ask because I really don't see it be addressed in game discussions.

    Everyone loves the G9 Eclipse in Just Cause 2 or the P-996 Lazer in GTA V, but why? They look cool, but you're never gonna use it for anything that isn't flying from A to B, then jumping out from the max height for a larf.

    Fun, yes, but my problem is that these planes have some of the coolest weapons in the game. And yet you can't really use them for anything.
    To use the example of the G9 Eclipse, which for those who haven't played Just Cause 2.... open Steam, buy Just Cause 2 and play through it. Like, now.
    But in all seriousness it's a fighter jet with 2 machine guns that fire the same shots that come out of a tank, with 4 rocket pods.

    This is all well and good, but the plane's high speed and stupidly big turning radius makes it almost impossible to use reliably when attacking a military base or something.

    And since the military never sends planes after you it can't be used in a dogfight either, it's just a huge tease. Give the players these insanely powerful and cool weapons and then make it nearly impossible to use them. WHY?!

    Now, there are some exceptions to this, for example the VTOL from Saints Row III had the ability to hover but still had weapons that made it cooler than the average helicopter, there was also a VTOL in GTA SA which was also pretty cool once you figured out that games backward-*** flying controls, but those are really the only ones I could think of.

    And there are so many more plane types that could (and in fact, SHOULD) be used but simply aren't.
    You could use planes with tomahawk missiles that can actually be aimed from the air without pointing your nose down, you could have planes that could turn on a dime and alright enough beating around the freaking bush here. WHY AREN'T THERE EVER BOMBERS IN OPEN WORLD GAMES?!

    Especially in Just Cause 2, with all that destructible environment the opportunity to implement a bomber was just right there and it wasn't taken.

    And don't even get me started on the missed opportunity for boats in open world games...


    TL;DR Planes suck but have no reason to.

    Anyhow, thus ends my rant.
  2. kvalheim

    kvalheim Post Master General

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    Just Cause 2 had destructible environments?
  3. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    Well, you know what I mean. All the **** you can blow up.
  4. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    It's literally the basis of the game.
  5. BulletMagnet

    BulletMagnet Post Master General

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    Two reasons:

    1. Controls. There's more buttons, dials, and levers in an aircraft than on your keyboard. And I'll laugh you right off this forum if you say gamepad.

    2. Aircraft are incredibly mobile compared to other forms of transport. If you have something that is; fast, can avoid any obstacle by flying over it, and has an easy-to-use incredibly powerful weapon... wouldn't you call that OP?
  6. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    I'm not saying turn the game into a flight simulator I'm saying replace the function of firing a gun with the function of dropping bombs or firing a guided missile.


    OH NO, something in a single player open world action game is OP!!

    These games aren't exactly what you'd call balanced or difficult, even without bombers and other anti-ground planes, because helicopters are already broken as hell.

    For a few examples, in Just Cause 2, so long as you don't stay still you can take out an entire military base with 4 SAM sites firing homing missiles at you (and once the SAMs are out the enemy may as well just give up), and in GTA V the AI becomes so hilariously stupid once you get into a helicopter that you can just stay in one spot firing your gun and since they never send the military on you you'll never die.

    I'm just saying, if you're going to include planes with weapons and have them be stupidly useless, why even have the weapons on them in the first place?
  7. kvalheim

    kvalheim Post Master General

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    It's not a destructible environment though. There are explosive barrels and setpieces, but the environment at large can't be altered, 99% of buildings are indestructible.
  8. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    Alright fine. But there's a lot of environment. And you can knock over trees...
  9. kvalheim

    kvalheim Post Master General

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    "Destructible environments" for me means significantly large amounts of destroying ****. Something like Red Faction, Battlefield: Bad Company, Worms...
  10. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    BUT TREES.
  11. kvalheim

    kvalheim Post Master General

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    Butt trees :p
  12. Geers

    Geers Post Master General

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    Weeeeeeeee.
  13. kvalheim

    kvalheim Post Master General

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    I assume you've tried the boost in JC2 Multiplayer?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

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