The Ten Commandments Of Video Game Menus

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Normally I don't go for lists like this, but this one is actually pretty good. Number seven is one of my biggest complaints about video game menus.

7. Thou Shalt Automatically Save Settings Once They Are Changed

For it is known that players like to tweak settings in the options menu, and shall become irate if they have to enter every menu twice to make sure that whatever settings they just implemented actually stuck. Again, this is known.
 
Yet not mention of the press start message that comes up with every game. You know, instead of bringing you straight to the menu.
 
For PC based games, my biggest peeve is how many games lack secondary keyboard mapping and/or do not automatically unbind conflicts. So. Freaking. Annoying.
 
May the gods of gaming heed our prayers.

I would also love it if the in game music was at half volume by default. I usually mute that option anyways.
 
sometimes I like the manual save button. Assures me that it will save. Nothing like changing a setting to wonder whether it autosaves or not, because I can't find that save button anywhere.
 
I havent read the article, but i hate games that dont allow contextual mapping.

Such as, press space to jump. And then when you are in vehicle, you cant use space to do anything vehicular because it would conflict with your ability to jump. (Few games have this specific issue, but i intend it as an analogy)
 
+10000

Wonder what that is about?

I believe you will find it is a requirement from both Microsoft and Sony on the consoles.

Mind you the only place I have heard that said was in an interview with a developer quite a while ago, so it may have changed.
 
For PC based games, my biggest peeve is how many games lack secondary keyboard mapping and/or do not automatically unbind conflicts. So. Freaking. Annoying.

While I dislike the lack of secondary mapping, I actually like that they do not unbind conflicts. Sometimes one button doing two or more things is very useful.

Still, I wish every game had something like the console from Id's old games. The freedom to script sequences and bind them to any number of keys is something I really miss.
 
1. Thou Shalt Always Allow The Player To Quit To Desktop

This one I both agree and disagree with. I agree that all games should have a Completely exit out with one button approach. The popup however is what I disagree with as that makes it a 2 button approach. It just needs to be two options; Quit and Exit to menu. You hit quit and it does the obvious and quits. Also on the note of Cutscenes and other shit after you hit quit? Yes, any dev that pulls that shit can take a flying leap.
 
i would like to be able to disable stupid pointing arrows and hints in any game. you stand still for about 1.2 seconds and things pop up that show you what to do and where.
 
For PC based games, my biggest peeve is how many games lack secondary keyboard mapping and/or do not automatically unbind conflicts. So. Freaking. Annoying.
Especially true for games that have multiple control modes. (I.E. vehicle, aircraft, on foot, etc) Battlefield 2 was especially horrible on this as trying to change a keybind usually meant going into 3 or 4 control sub-menus and looking for each instance in order to manually unbind it. That particular idiocy makes me want to kick puppies.
 
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