What way do you like your loading screens?

[Chris]

Before I start making any loaders, I just want to get an Idea how people like game-play when it comes to loading. Do you like having small breaks? Or are you a full on hardcore, give me action type?

[MikeD]

I prefer all the loading done at the start. Aggravates me when I'm playing something and have to stop and wait for the game to load every once in awhile.

[Jackolantern]

I think across the board people hate loading screens. Having pretty art on them, or having movement and something interesting to look at can make them more tolerable, but I think your general player today would wish away every loading screen if they could.

I can't remember what game it was, but on the Sega CD (which had loooooong load screens sometimes over 3 or 4 minutes) there was a game that let you play Galaga while it loaded. Since the game was so small, it loaded almost instantly while the larger real game loaded. That was actually pretty cool, but since load screens are expected to be quite short today it really wouldn't make any sense.

[Callan S.]

If it's an RPG type game, I think a loading screen mini game makes sense if it scores you a few more points of some kind to play it while the load happens (if you want to, if you just want to wait there is no penalty). That way your still essentially playing the game. The load screen mini game could be in theme with the RPG, like maybe patching up holes in armour or something (and maybe doing so saves you on armour repairs, or something).

[Jackolantern]

That would be cool provided it either A. was scored by accumulation and the player was advised when the game was done loading and they could press a button to get back to the real game, gaining benefit from the points they scored, however long they stuck around to score them, or B. the time that the game loaded was a sort of time limit on the mini-game. Although this would need to be regulated so that players with slower computers would not get more time in the mini-game due to their longer load times. You may have to fake some of the load time to make that fair. The "A" option would probably be better lol.

[kaos78414]

I think across the board people hate loading screens. Having pretty art on them, or having movement and something interesting to look at can make them more tolerable, but I think your general player today would wish away every loading screen if they could.

I can't remember what game it was, but on the Sega CD (which had loooooong load screens sometimes over 3 or 4 minutes) there was a game that let you play Galaga while it loaded. Since the game was so small, it loaded almost instantly while the larger real game loaded. That was actually pretty cool, but since load screens are expected to be quite short today it really wouldn't make any sense.

I've been playing Dragonball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi lately, and during loading screens it has this silly thing where you just shoot down these targets that look like pills. I find it actually helps a little to have something to do during the load.

[Chris]

If it's an RPG type game, I think a loading screen mini game makes sense if it scores you a few more points of some kind to play it while the load happens (if you want to, if you just want to wait there is no penalty). That way your still essentially playing the game. The load screen mini game could be in theme with the RPG, like maybe patching up holes in armour or something (and maybe doing so saves you on armour repairs, or something).

That would make a nice idea for shop screens etc, just load a new scene with a lot less CPU/GPU strain, then run a function in that screen to clear up memory. Delete any unused cached models. Preload current 3d scene, and when the user switches back to the 3d scene, everything will be freed up and be ready for new loads.

[Callan S.]

That would be cool provided it either A. was scored by accumulation and the player was advised when the game was done loading and they could press a button to get back to the real game, gaining benefit from the points they scored

I would have it that as soon as loading is done, the min game instantly ends. Whatever you got in that time, you keep. But you can give the player the option to manually start it after loading if they want, if you want to add that. Typically the resources you get from it would be lower than just playing the main game, so there wouldn't be much point voluntarily playing it.

[Jackolantern]

That would be cool provided it either A. was scored by accumulation and the player was advised when the game was done loading and they could press a button to get back to the real game, gaining benefit from the points they scored

I would have it that as soon as loading is done, the min game instantly ends. Whatever you got in that time, you keep. But you can give the player the option to manually start it after loading if they want, if you want to add that. Typically the resources you get from it would be lower than just playing the main game, so there wouldn't be much point voluntarily playing it.

That would work provided players with ultra high-end PCs don't feel cheated for having the best system by getting 40% or less loading time to play the mini-game compared to someone who barely has the minimum specs who may get over a minute to play. Like you said, allowing them to play the mini-game later, but making the benefits not worth it compared to playing the main game would likely work well

[Callan S.]

If one made the mini game to be more profitable than the main game, that would be odd