No, I'm saying I don't feel like immersing myself in a game like this when I know it's over so soon. When I do manage to immerse myself, I want the game to last for a significant amount of time - or I'd be very frustrated.

Short stories are fine - but I don't play games as if they were a story. I play games because they're games - and I love immersing myself into a world more than anything - and RPG is the perfect genre for that.

If the game was absolutely fantastic - then maybe I'd experience it for the story and combat, but it doesn't look like a fantastic game. It looks like yet another so-so action RPG with tons of combat - except it's short.

Let's say the next TES game came out and was a fantastic game, but content only lasted for 10 hours.

Some gamers would probably be fine with it - because to them, length is irrelevant and they like "short stories" as much as "long stories."

Now you might say "but TES is different - of course it should be long" - and I'll throw your nonsense right back into your face: "Don't you like short stories?"

I would be extremely disappointed in a 10-hour TES game. That's just the kind of gamer I am, I suppose.

RPG, to me, is not a good genre for short games.

I think its the other way around. RPG is the perfect style for short games, because it allows replayability, choices and consequences, like relieving your first date/fight forever and seeing all the angles.

A shooter on the other hand, or and adventure.. that rather pointless, but if the story is good enough, anything can make a short worthwhile experience

PS: not a TES fan. sorry

We're just very different gamers and that's fine.

I'm not sure about that. I was wondering, what short RPG disappointed you?

The Witcher 2 comes to mind.

I was dreadfully disappointed with how short it turned out to be, particularly the last act. I think it was 40 hours or so - but I wanted 60-80 hours from it.

Deus Ex:HR was also too short (yes, I consider it a full blown RPG) - and I was very sad to learn that they cut the 3rd hub from the game.

Risen was way too short as well - and should have been double in length.

Basically, I invest myself in quality RPGs in a way that's unlike any other genre. I want to get lost in that world - and I want it to last until I'm done being invested.

If the above games lasted 10 hours - I simply wouldn't have bothered playing them. I'd have been too frustrated.

Even at 30-40 hours with these - I was frustrated - but the quality was so high that they ended up being great experiences anyway.

Nothing about Mars tells me it's worth investing myself for 10-15 hours only to get pulled out of it. It looks kinda amateur-hour to me.

As an example of "perfect" length-to-quality ratio - I think Mass Effect is a good example. It lasts for around 40 hours - and it's pretty much the perfect length for what it gives me.

KotOR is the same way for me.

Well, my approach is that no game is too short, it was just designed badly.
The problem with Risen and most projects, is that they start with big plans, so the start is detailed and immersive, but then they get money problems or something, and tone everything down till the end.

I think that if a game would build momentum, and peak with the last act, you will have a very fond memory of that game.

I have an idea, I think the more time you spend in a game, the more chances are you feel immersed in it. So its kind of a trick when design is flawed.

Thinking of the lenghtiest RPGs I've played, Fallout2 comes to mind, and the momentum was great, going from a village to huge cities, and the plot just kept growing.

DeusEX didn't have any substance, was poorly written, and I think it was beyond saving, the design was just too poor all the way through.
Witcher2 had too many assets, and they tried spreading the game too much to cover all the graphics they had made and it looked flimsy and forced.. again the writing was bad.
Risen as I said, didn't make because they ran out of funds.. just like Revenant

I disagree severely about all three games - so I'm afraid I still believe we're very different gamers.

haha, alright. You convinced me

I'm so proud! ;)

If Deus Ex: HR had been any longer, I'm not sure if I would have even finished it. I found that game to be fairly monotonous as far as the repetition of the environments. So much so that I never even played the DLC, nor have I ever felt any desire to replay the game in the future. I still have nightmares about turning a corner and seeing another 20 office desks to search through.

I thought Risen was fine in terms of completion time, but I also agree with many that the island was too small in terms of exploration.

The Witcher 2 was definitely too short. Although it is made up for in part by how different the two playthroughs are.

I should play through Deus Ex:HR again without looking through any desks or hacking any computers. I bet I could finish it in a few hours. And possibly enjoy it more.