Allophone

History

The play of subjective shooting, like commonly admitted by all, emerged with the beginning of the year 1990, with the advent of the 3D. However, the modern kind was born from successive evolutions of older plays, in particular those which implemented graphics in three dimensions. Although these older plays are not strictly speaking subjective plays of shooting as it today is heard, good number of them maintain a narrow similarity in term Gameplay , and others set up ideas which later influenced the modern kind.

Beginnings

The creation date of the first play of subjective shooting is not clear. The two plays Spasim and Maze War dispute paternity. And uncertainty on this subject comes mainly from the lack of exact dates for the development of Maze War - that even its developer cannot find. On the other hand, the development of Spasim is documented well better, and the surer dates.

The development of Maze War probably began in summer 1973. A player alone must find his way through a maze of corridors posted in fixed prospect. The capacities multijouor, making it possible players to draw the ones on the others, was probably added later in 1973 (two machines bound by a connection series) then in summer 1974 (entirely managed in network).

The development of Spasim was initiated in spring 1974. Players move in a universe in wire 3D, with a gameplay similar to the play 2D Empire . Graphically, Spasim withdraws no stops hidden posted elements, but proposes a support of play multijouor on line by the means of the university and world network PLATO. Another play of notable subjective shooting using PLATO is Panther (video game) , placed at the disposal in 1975.

1979 - 1990: Limit arcades and personal computers

The evolution according to most significant arrives on Borne of arcade with the play Tail Gunner marketed in 1979, play of shooting with a fixed screen, but already some concepts of 3D.

In 1980, Battlezone , a reminiscence of Panther is published, which makes it possible to the player to move on the battle field that it delivers with enemy tanks controlled by the machine. The play becomes a business success.

The first FPS was Colony , in 1987. It did not use yet textures for the walls, the grounds… Among the others FPS of this period, one can note Faceball2000 and Midi Refines , famous for its multijoueurs mode in network using the Interface midday.

1991 - 1993: Definition of the kind

The first FPS making it possible to post coloured walls and grounds was Wolfenstein 3D (1992) of the company Id Software; it was however quickly supplanted, in 1993, by Doom , which became the standard of this kind of plays, introducing a true management of the network game, which guarantees the perenniality of FPS : what consequently makes the attraction of the play is that one can kill from abroad, but also her colleagues, his wife… the number of killed is registered in the table of pointing under name frag .

The company Id Software is regarded as that which made it possible to popularize and improve this type of play - if it is not like creative kind with Doom and its series Quake , regarded by much as the reference in the field. The play Unreal of the company Epic Ranges, also had an enormous success, and was imitated much. These two companies are not satisfied to develop plays: they also market to them driving play with other editors so that they incorporate them in their own products.

1994 - 2000: after Doom

In 1994 Rise off the Triad brings innovations in the field: sight to the top and bottom in an environment pseudo 3D, ciels panoramic, the effects of fogs, flashes, the holes in the walls.

In 1996 leaves Quake, signed Id Software. It is a step determining in the history of the play of shot because it introduces for the first time of the enemies modelled in 3D (and nonreduced to " sprites " as in Doom), an entirely three-dimensional sight: possibility of moving the camera upwards and downwards. The play is fast, bloody and is essential very quickly like one of most known of the market of the video game.

Then, in 1997, Quake II inserts the nail: this time the entirety of the play is in three dimensions, the play remains fast, and includes/understands a primary scenaristic screen: invasion with large scales of a planet. The hero is the only survivor of his unit and the player must carry out it in the middle them enemy installations to save the Earth.

In 1998, two major titles are born in a few months of intervals: Unreal, then Half-Life. The first proposes a universe of science fiction and a linear scenario. The player rubs with the extraterrestrial wild ones that it fights with imaginary weapons, and its multijouor mode very quickly becomes a reference. The second offers a history quite as linear but in a very realistic universe, where a scientific research on teleportation degenerates and involves the appearance of hostile creatures in an immense complex of research. The arsenal is composed this time of more realistic weapons.

1999 is one year prosperous since are born the three large standards from the play of shooting multijouor: on the one hand, Quake 3 Arena, fifth major title of Id Software, Unreal Tournament, extension multijouor of Unreal which sees his success exceeding its groin, and Counter-Strike, which is a MOD of Half-Life. Each one of these plays begins again what made the success of its series. Quake III uses an engine of point and a universe of science fiction to propose bloody arena combat. Unreal Tournament, on the same principle, is the main competitor, having the delirious arsenal of Unreal. Counter-Strike quickly becomes the game more played on line of the world thanks to its simple principle: terrorists face anti-terrorists teams for hostages or the placement of a bomb…

In 2000 is born the last from the large standards of the FPS: Deus Ex, regarded by much as one of best (see the best) the play ever created: using the engine of Unreal, it combines a scenario of a rare complexity and a universe Cyberpunk with many principles of Roleplay S: system experiment, limited inventory, and adds its own original ideas to it: nano-modified hero who can obtain superhuman capacities: disproportionate force, regeneration, improved sight which posts information on the enemy, launching starting from its own body of a eye-spy… the interaction with the computers, the books, the objects, the characters is thorough to the maximum.

In spite of the graphics already exceeded at the time of its exit, the play profits from criticisms more than enthusiastic and is acclaimed by many players. Success is unfortunately not with go, the outgoing play in a relative confidentiality.

2000 at our days: the search of graphic realism

The rise to power of the computer material allowed the emergence of video games graphics increasingly more developed. Many titles propose the richness of the environment and the quality of the graphic realization like sales point, with the detriment sometimes of realism by the excess of light effects or of the gameplay.

This search of realism is very often done with the detriment of the performances of play: certain very greedy titles, such Unreal Tournament 2004, Far Cry or Doom 3 requiring at their exit of the configurations of point, the industry of the sets of shootings tends to develop more quickly than the comfortable hardware requirements to play there in manner. Moreover, very awaited plays as Quake 4 very often mask, behind graphics of point, a relative vacuum: scenario linear and not very interesting, with the result that the plays profiting from very a good reputation (Dooms and Quakes for example), are often shown to use a prestigious name to sell an altogether poor play. Plays like the last Unreal S are also sources of disappointments: the graphic projection imposing of the changes in the manner of playing, putting side roots of the series and their own environment.

The reaction of the players vis-a-vis this change is ambiguous: the players who use the development tools of levels appreciate these projections, and use the gaps of the original plays to make known themselves by publishing additional levels, mods. The graphic complexification is accompanied indeed by an increasingly large opening towards the communities of players, enabling them to touch with scripts of the play, or even at the original levels. Other players propose the reduction in scenaristic quality of the plays at the profit of increasingly powerful and less and less accessible engines. The perfect example is Deus Ex: Invisible War, which profits, thanks to will have precedent opus, of a great business success but causes great disappointments because of many principles were sacrificed: the modifications all of the hero are ready with the beginning of the play (instead of beings activated progressively), the linearity is stronger, part of the interaction is removed, and the scenario is less thorough. The play thus loses most of what made its specificity, but gains, thanks to the graphic engine of Unreal 2, the one second graphic youth. Unreal 2 besides, is also source of many criticisms: proceeding in the form of missions, the play has a skeletal intrigue, one very limited lifespan, and uses a new arsenal, instead of the arsenal which made the success of all the other titles of the series.

Other general characteristics

In general, the FPS present common points other than the subjective vision and the shooting.

They are organized in several levels that the player must successively cross. Each one of these levels is in fact a virtual world in which the player must fight against his adversaries, to find secrete ways, weapons, treasures… the accession at the higher level of course requires to finish living the level in progress.

A great proportion of the video games which appear henceforth are FPS , almost all making it possible to play via Internet. This new dimension of the play gave rise to a gigantic subculture Internet, organized in clans , in particular within the framework of the play Counter-Strike it reference with regard to FPS , whether it is on Internet or in Lan-party .

Another characteristic of FPS is the possibility (either envisaged upon the departure, or added by the players) of creating its own levels, to exchange them between players. This possibility also largely contributed to the longevity of each FPS , and thus of this kind in general. Very popular tools are thus developed for the creators of the play and are provided to the players at the time of the exit of the play, such Valve Hammer Editor for Half-Life and Half-Life 2, or UnrealEd for the plays using the UnrealEngine.

Alternatives

FPS also gave rise to alternatives, which use the same principle of visualization, but where the goal of the play is a little different:

the First Persson Sneakers (either, in English, “plays of subjective shooting embusqué”) where the goal is rather to avoid being detected; the plays Thief and Hitman can undoubtedly be included in this category;
the Tactical Shooters (“plays of tactical shooting”), which are played in team, like the plays Rainbow Six , Swat 3 and America' S Army ;
the Third Persson Shooter S where the sight is taken back of the character, like Tomb Raider , max Payne , Splinter Cell or Drakhan .
the First-person adventure rs, which propose a true adventure and turn more around the exploration and the resolution of enigmas, like Metroid Prime.

These categories are henceforth regarded as distinct from FPS .

To create a FPS

Certain programs make it possible to create FPS. Often the specialized companies use their own software. FPS Creator is one of this software.

chronological List of the plays of subjective shooting

External bond

Analysis of the FPS - wheels of the immersion

Simple: First-person shooter

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