I overall agree with Mchea but I do have a change of view when it comes to SP and MP respectively. So I do not agree with Mchea's viewpoint in MP games, altho I DO in SP games.
But The underlining debate that has run throughall his article, and this discussion is a symptom of something that Mchea (and alot of us) wants, but that is shyed away from from the most part.
Being the interactive media advancing with conveying a story, they do not always need to be fun. Mchea did mention the difference between a war movie, and the games.
But for SP games I agree with Mchea, most wargames use so much effort to imitate real war, but there is never consequences, its not personal. The gameplay could aswell be Doom, war is almost portrayed as a fun pasttime, and not a dark brutal, and sad. Which now has become almost disgusting in some of the war games, less and less consequences, and almost a macabre mockery of war. And as such they should not make games about war, if they are unable or unwilling to tell a true War story, and not just the run of the mill "Go kill half the population of X country"
MP wise, erspawn, healthpacks or regenerating health should matter little, since there would be no portrayal of anything really. It is a setting sure, but no story, no personality, and in alot of ways, its the same as little boys playing war in the backyard with plastic weapons. Unless MP mechanics are revamped alot within the near future.
However Goodrich IS right in his statement, that this is E3, the gamemode shown, were shown due to its being easy for people to get hands on with, and he states that there are a mode that should be more serious. But the story would have to follow the mechanics, or it would have been pointless. For an e3 event however, the settings they picked likely have been very thought through, and is a consequence of the average publich of e3.
Overall, it is a disconnect between a Dev that wants to make games, content with what games are now, and Mchea who wants gaming to evolve. Possibly surpass movies, which gaming HAS the potential to, but no devs wants to tackle.
But as of now, wargames are this odd joke, you never have fear, everything is allright, because you regen, ammo are plenty, and there is no dark and sad consequences of your actions, there are no emotionel impact whatsoever. All that is left, is the equalant of an 80's action movie, but it does not "feel right" since the games themselves are not over the top, there is no irony or a feeling of "yeah this is a GAME with a war setting, but rather this is a WAR game (as in, war is not a backdrop, but the focus).
Just my few cents
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