: quote: "all the other crazy stuff came from that. Nowadays, games can do
: anything that can be done in a full length film. Would anyone still read a
: terminal in a game if it was there?"
: But off course! WE would! :^D
Depends on how well they're written.
Doom 3 for example, all of its terminals say the same thing essentially: "Delta Labs are drawing lots of power lately" "There are rumours about Delta Labs" "The people from Delta are starting to look funny" (gee, maybe they look like zombies!) "I don't trust anyone here, something funny is going on at Delta Labs so I stashed some supplies in a locker in Med, code 384."
They are boring and repetitive. They're written as if you're actually trying to avoid reading them, so if you read only one or two you can still get the plot. They do reward you occasionally with access codes, but in Doom 3 it seems more like a chore to read (or listen to) log entries just to get access codes.
Marathon's terminals have a much better style (i.e. they have style) and make the reader work to get the clues, yet still make the game better even if you don't bother deciphering all the hex code and whatnot. They add replay value, like any good novel you understand more of the terminals the more you reread them, which makes you want to reread them more. In Doom, there is no reward to rereading the logs, or memorizing the characters' names or anything.
