What made Marathon great

[Destiny]

Not too long ago I had started watching someone on Youtube play through the original Marathon. It seemed interesting, and I hadn't seen many complete playthroughs with commentary. While watching the videos, I noticed some things that also made Marathon great. One of the great aspects was of course its story, but there were some others I now consider to be good qualities that Marathon had. Here's what I think some of them are:

Puzzles
Okay, not everyone may like puzzles, but it adds something different to the game. You might not be able to do a whole lot in a FPS in terms of creating puzzles, but still. I think a good example would be the door on "Defend THIS!" along with the following platform puzzle that follows after the door. A bad example, which I think everyone would agree with, is the stair puzzle on "Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap."

Back Stories/Side Stories
Maybe this is essentially the same category as story (story is in "back story" and "side story"). Either way, there was a lot of other stuff going on. You have all this history before the attack on the Marathon. Then you also have these other things happening (Gheritt White terminal, etc). Without these, there wouldn't be as much in the story page.

Exploration
I really noticed this while watching someone else play Marathon. I play a certain way, and usually play it the same way every time, but someone else isn't always going to play it the same way as you. There might be more in terms of nonlinear gameplay, being able to explore more nowadays, but I think it was still good back then.

Secrets
Okay, maybe this is a dead giveaway in all FPS. Everyone likes secrets. Everyone likes to find the flamethrower before you can get it normally. Secrets also contain secret terminals.

You guys can correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I would mention all of this. I'm gonna try to implement some of these elements more into my mapping (maybe not the puzzles, since I don't think I would be very good at it).

[FlashMan1294]

The story is what did it for me, and the eerie quiet that was present throughout M2 and Infinity

[goran]

Graphical design, atmosphere, pfhor, and physics/weapons is what makes me love the marathon series. I like the story, it is good, however I think they missed out a lot on pfhor history/religion. It would have been interesting to learn more about the "enemy"

[SylithSenjak]

The story is definitely one of the biggest draws for me - although a lot is left up to the imagination, it feels intriguing and fun rather than incomplete and leaves me wondering about all kinds of interesting possibilities.

Also, for for someone you only get to know through terminals and a lot of frustrating beaming about, Durandal is probably one of my favorite video game characters of all time. I also have a soft spot for Re'eer, the Pfhor officer from Infinity that fakes their own death to work on comparative linguistics - can't imagine why... /language nerd

The gameplay is great, too, of course; I don't play shooters very often, but I'm always happy to come back to Marathon and mow down a few Pfhor.

[fiddler_on_a_roof]

The atmosphere and the beautiful textures was a real draw for me. I liked Doom a lot, but the Marathon series (especially M2 and Infinity) showed an extra level of artistry that set it apart. When I first got the M2 demo, I sometimes just liked to admire Waterlook Waterpark at 640x480 with no HUD, even though my frame rate was abysmal on my old Quadra 605. And the terminals were always interesting to read and pleasing to look at, as well as giving some depth to the level design and objectives.

And the Pfhor were just plain weird, weird enough to give you an inexplicable eerie feeling. And as always, fun to blow up in large numbers.

[Zott]

Since I got into the series while young, I didn't share the same attachment to the story as many do. Marathon was one of first FPS that I played (I think Descent was actually the first), but that wasn't what immediately confirmed my attachment. Instead, what enthralled me was the idea of the interaction between the enemies and the player through the interface of a first person shooter.

Allow me to explain. When I beamed down in Durendal, with the BoBs, the concept of having friendlies helping me out in the fight was amazing. Furthering that, was as you killed them, they were 'smart' enough to fight back and hate you. There was some 'intelligence' here. I'd replay Waterpark to try and save every BoB, and other times I'd play to kill everything. Experimentation. Tactics, immediate feedback, exploration.

When was finally gifted the trilogy series, I actually didn't want Infinity at all. I still don't really like Infinity, but the TOOLs, by golly the tools. With a couple mouse clicks I could create a room. I could place an enemy. It was so easy. Now easy doesn't mean great. But it didn't have to be. Just like the Starcraft map editor, or even the SimCity 2000 Urban Renewal kit, it was simple do use, but you could make complex things. All my maps were horrible, but it was the idea that I was making a pirate ship with Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 background music to accompany the 'characters' that kept me entertained.

So basically; organic interaction and room for creativity.

[Destiny]

While reading over everyone's posts, it got me thinking: "Why did I continue to play Marathon?" If you guys didn't already know, I started playing Marathon around the age of 3. My mom needed someone to do the shooting, and somehow I fit that role. That's how I started playing Marathon. Obviously, at that age I could not read, so the terminals meant nothing to me. My method for getting past every level was to kill everything in sight, explore the entire area, and check the terminals until one of them took me to the next level. I eventually learned how to play on my own, of course. Today, Marathon is one of my favorite games for many reasons. Back then? Why did I keep playing? The only reason I could come up with is that it was cool. Sure, Doom was also cool, but Marathon had something else about it that made it even cooler. I killed aliens. There was Bob, who I thought was so cool because in Doom you were on your own. The guns were cooler. Yeah. As a kid, I think Marathon was cool to me, so that's probably why I kept playing, and still do today, because not only is the game I grew up with but it's also the coolest game out there, and nothing will ever replace it as #1.

[SylithSenjak]

While reading over everyone's posts, it got me thinking: "Why did I continue to play Marathon?" If you guys didn't already know, I started playing Marathon around the age of 3. My mom needed someone to do the shooting, and somehow I fit that role.

... wow, your mother asked you to play for her? Haha, mine would have banned me from playing it if she could have, and I was at least in seventh grade when I started! (She really hates shooters - but I turned out a complete pacifist IRL, so what's the harm in a little alien carnage?)

[Spurious Interrupt]

Story. Durandal's rants in M1 drove me to move from Terminal to Terminal. Whenever I had to get off, I wouldn't read the terminal if it was near the Pattern Buffer, so that I could enjoy what I thought was the best part of the game when I got back.

[Ares Ex Machina]

There's no doubt that Marathon has a great story. And Zott brings up an excellent point about the tools. The tools for creativity that we've been given are truly great and I've often wished that other developers would gove us similar tools (map-making at least, c'mon!).

But it surprises me that nobody has mentioned the multiplayer. Marathon has one of the best multiplayer modes of all time!

[Destiny]

But it surprises me that nobody has mentioned the multiplayer. Marathon has one of the best multiplayer modes of all time!

For the longest time, I never played multiplayer. It was until one fateful day that both the Mac desktop and my dad's laptop were hooked up to the internet and I played against my dad. It wasn't a whole lot of fun, really, but I did get to the see the player for like the first time in the front (saw the player's back in Rubicon when I put it to third-person). The next I got to play multiplayer was with Aleph One. Big time back between these events.

So no, multiplayer was never the thing that made me like Marathon; however, I did want to play it, but there was no one to play with.

[fiddler_on_a_roof]

I'm actually very curious about Ares' answer. What makes Marathon's multiplayer better than other games? Could you explain?

Full disclosure: For a number of reasons (time being the biggest of them---hopefully this will change soon), I've never played Marathon's multiplayer, and neither that of any other game. Out of curiosity, I've seen several Youtube videos of top-tier players playing Quake 3 Arena and the Halo series---it seems pretty awesome. To be honest, maybe it was the more modern graphics or the high level of play that affected my impression. So I'm curious that out of all these years, what makes Marathon stand out?

[Crater Creator]

Well, I'm not saying multiplayer would be above other things like story for me, but several things come to mind. You could play with your friends. You could run around shooting each other, which for Mac users in 1994 was still very novel. Not only that, but you could fight the aliens together cooperatively. There was microphone support, so you could talk while you play, and if you were playing coop, you could even switch views to see what your buddy was seeing.

The game came with an extra serial number, so you could play with a friend on a different machine even if he didn't own the game. In multiplayer, you'd find these new guns that did cool things which you hadn't found in the single player game yet. Features like the motion sensor and the presence of monsters changed how you had to approach fights. And of course, the map editor allowed a neverending supply of new netmaps to play, which continues today.

I know so much of this sounds mundane now, which speaks to the common theme: that Marathon was ahead of its time in many ways.

[treellama]

It's not easy to describe what makes Marathon Infinity net play so classic. Hilarious physics, well-balanced weapons (the originals, not this MIMEP sacrilege), cartoony graphics, Doug Zartman screaming 'AHHHHHH' when the player dies. Sands Serif, and Spline, and Reason with the Sky, and Mime Target. Thrud KOTH. With the right gatherer and players, every game is a dignified comedy.

I guess maybe instead of asking, you should just try playing it. You'll either understand or you won't.

[fiddler_on_a_roof]

If I were to summarize, it seems Crater Creator's point is that Marathon's multiplayer had a lot of historical "firsts", or at least did things in a creative way. Treellama seems to be saying that under the right conditions, Marathon's multiplayer is simply hilarious. I can see what you mean by this one---the other games take themselves a bit too seriously. But Marathon, with its Bobs just flying around, ridiculously hurled around by rocket explosions, saying "Ahhhh!"---it does make me chuckle.

I'll join multiplayer sometime, after finish this damn Ph.D. thesis. Such things have been the downfall of many Marathoners over the years.

[The Thug]

The atmosphere of the story, especially in M2, and pretty much everything about net play is what defines marathon for me. Regardless of the circumstances, marathon multiplayer never fails to bring laughter, shenanigans, and just overall a great time.

[Zott]

As far as multiplayer, I didn't have the pleasure of playing it before network games but if I had to peg some of the appeal, I'm put it on low learning curve. For Marathon, twitching skills are not required to win, which is partially owed to the limited viewing angles, no-headshots, and large hitboxes for the weapons that would normally require it. Players can join a game, and probably do ok on their first time.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that Marathon includes a lot of color for a first person shooter. The enemies are colorful, the worlds have different color tones and even the weapons, from the fusion bolt to the flamethrower each have their own blend of chromatic. The color doesn't go so far as to be completely cell-shaded and cartoony, but also avoids the layers of brown that strike many 'modern' games today. That made it visually appealing, and also relayed important data about enemy strength without requiring HUD elements.

[Ares Ex Machina]

I'm actually very curious about Ares' answer. What makes Marathon's multiplayer better than other games? Could you explain?

Just to clarify, when I said Marathon multiplayer (I'll just say Marathon from now on for simplicity), I was mainly thinking of EMFH for three reasons:

1. It's the best game type Marathon has to offer.
2. It's the core aspect of almost every game type in Marathon.
3. I concede that when it comes to Coop, I prefer Halo.

While there are some archaic things keeping Marathon from being as good as it can be, they don't matter much once you get used to the game and measure them against how good the good things really are.

I can also say I've tried many FPS multiplayer games since Marathon and never found them to be anywhere near as fun (Halo, GoldenEye, Half-Life, Duke Nukem, and a slew of others). There's a delicate balance between realism and fun, and between player movement and the effects and balance of the weapons...and Marathon just nails it. In addition, there are some truly unique things about it you just won't find anywhere else.

I think what other people have mentioned so far is true, but for me it's mainly the:

• Physics
• Learning Curve
• Weapon Balance
• Speed

Physics
The gravity, the weapon recoil, the way explosions work -- everything that ties the realism and lack thereof together in Marathon makes it a truly unique experience that stands out from every FPS I've played. And of course, more important than how unique it is is how fun it is. Unfortunately, you'll never truly appreciate its intricacies until you've played tons of matches and tried hard to improve as a player. I could explain it, but I'll have written a book by the time I'm finished, and it wouldn't carry the same weight as trying it out yourself anyway. One thing I will say is: pay close attention to the effects of the rocket launcher and how it can be used, because it's one of the most unique things about Marathon. Just keep in mind you probably won't notice anything too out of the ordinary for quite some time.

Learning Curve
It's a game you can pick up and know how to play instantly if you've ever played a FPS before. But at at the same time there are intricacies to the physics and weapons that make the learning curve so steep that it's impossible for a novice to defeat a master. More so than any other FPS game I've played, how well you do is directly tied to (and is an accurate representation of): your experience.

Weapon Balance
There have been attempts to "fix" Marathon's weapon balance, but as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to fix. If you asked me what would I change to make it better, I would have my answers -- but nothing nearly as extreme as what's out there. Some of the "weak" weapons are not as weak as people think -- they simply require more skill to use than other weapons. And as for the ones that actually are weak...they serve an important purpose. But that's something I'll save for another time. What I'll say for now is that without them, there would be less variety. In addition, nothing is quite as satisfying as killing your opponent with a pistol when he's coming at you with a significantly stronger weapon.

Speed
With the mouse, the game can be played at a blistering pace, often making your reflexes the only limitation. The difference between escaping death and dying is often measured in tiny fractions of a second that hinge on your speed and skill. This is something that is theoretically true with other FPS games, but for some reason it feels more pronounced in Marathon.

And this doesn't really fit into any category, but some of the weapons are just plain cool. I would be lying if I said dual wielding the shotguns isn't the coolest weapon I've ever used in a videogame. Also, this isn't important to what makes Marathon so fun, but it adds a little to it: how many FPS games let you turn your torso away from the direction in which you're traveling in and attack?

[Destiny]

But at at the same time there are intricacies to the physics and weapons that make the learning curve so steep that it's impossible for a novice to defeat a master.

I think I've only killed you once in multiplayer...

[Exodus]

Back when Marathon first came out, there was nothing like it for me really that came close in terms of rich story, artwork and immersion. Multiplayer with recordings, a microphone and more-than-just deathmath modes? How many years did it take for teamspeak and friends to turn up after that? Doom had nuttin I tells ya!

It's a shame Mac gaming was so niche back then (not that so much has changed) or Bungie may have had an earlier 'blossoming' in the gaming world - it's so very heartening they've been doing so well.

I still use all the Marathon characters as hostnames for the machines I own and administer, cycling through the AIs as machines are retired and then replaced. Craig Mullins' artwork still graces my desktop backgrounds. A nearly 20 year sci-fi love affair still goin strong

Every couple of years I've had another look to see how things are going in the Marathon world and have just downloaded Aleph:One for the first time to see what it's like to start back at the beginning again.
Played for half an hour - I'd forgotten how bloody hard this game was on Total Carnage!

They don't make em like they used to..

[unclenate]

What made it great for me is that it was something i grew up with. for nearly a decade my brother and only had the demo versions of 1,2 and ∞, and we were always eager to know what more there was to marathon. so i guess the eagerness to actually get ahold of the full game was a big part of it.

[irons]

Minotaur