Game Design Series: Mime Theorem

Invisible walls.

If you're a gamer type you just said 'ugghhh' .
If you're the sort of person you just said 'ugghhh' because you wanted a rant or something good then all I can say is 'too bad.'

Let me start out by saying that I do not like invisible walls - I don't think anyone does.

Okay, so what is there to say about invisible walls that hasn't been said before?
Nothing I suppose.

How about this - invisible walls are the sort of thing that I find counterproductive in gaming. Mostly because I like having a lot of different ways to approach a situation. Why is it that there is a need to confine the player to a certain path?

There's more to it than that. Invisible walls are just lazy. Instead of just plunking an invisible wall there, why not put something that makes sense and blocks the path? Give it proper collisions and you're good. See, was that so hard?

Oh and by the way, don't try anything funny like making it shorter than the top of the player's jump height or taller than the player's crouch height and then having an invisible wall. That is just as bad as not having it there at all.
On the other hand, making it so that if the player tries, it is easily bypassed on purpose is a completely different matter. You see, that sort of thing is good game design.

So like I said before, why is there the need to force a player to approach a situation a certain way? Is it because your situation falls apart when approached form that angle? Maybe you shouldn't be constricting the player but, instead, creating a tougher situation.