Wondering why this question was closed.
This question and this question both state that video game questions are on topic, and the latter specifically dealing with identification questions.
So why was the question closed as off-topic?
Wondering why this question was closed.
This question and this question both state that video game questions are on topic, and the latter specifically dealing with identification questions.
So why was the question closed as off-topic?
Game ID questions are not fundamentally different from story ID questions.
That means they need to be held to the same standards.
I suspect that if someone asked a story ID question and the only on-topic element they could recall was "there were monsters in it", it would get closed. Perhaps off-topic might not be the best close reason, but it would still likely be closed.
Remember, part of the key concept of SE sites is accumulating collections of experts in a given topic.
As sci-fi and fantasy experts, this community should be able to identify sci-fi or fantasy works of any genre, but you can't expect us to identify as experts unless you're asking us to identify based upon criteria that is within our expertise.
So yes, questions asking to ID games are on-topic, if the description of the game gives a clear picture of some of the key fantasy or sci fi elements or plot points.
The question in this example does not, so should not be reopened until more details on the sci-fi or fantasy elements are provided.
Identification questions are not off-topic. Questions about video games with a sci-fi or fantasy setting are not off-topic.
But to combine the two does not make it Super-On-Topic, or even necessarily an on-topic question.
This question is actually not off-topic, but it's not very good. The level of detail the asker is giving to identify it it is very low, and focuses on gameplay elements that are hard to distinguish between different games. Even as a video game expert site we would be ill-equipped to answer it (and I do NOT recommend going to Arquade.se to ask, because I know they specifically require an audio/visual artifact for identification questions).
I won't oppose a re-opening of the question, but I strongly encourage the asker to add more details about the characters, plot, settings, and story elements and to not focus on the gameplay elements of the game, because we are not suited to answer identification questions based on gameplay.
Both linked questions make it clear, I think, that games are on-topic as long as the questions are about the setting, story, characters or background, but not gameplay elements. The question in question us asking to identify a game through elements of gameplay and interface, not of settings or story, not of any elements particularly Fantasy or SFnal.
I believe it isn't on topic, and should remain closed.
No, they're not out of scope, and that question should be reopened.