Forum Overview :: Gamerasutra
 
You just attacked with laser-precision two of my least-favourite game mechanics. by Jerry Whorebach 06/20/2011, 2:25am PDT
1. Resting to recover resources in games where time isn't a factor. That's not a choice, it's a chore! You might as well just make me mash the 'A'-button between combat encounters - at least then there might be some small measure of skill involved (speed, rhythm, etc.).

2. Random failure in games with unlimited saving and reloading. Sure, I could make up my own rules about when it's acceptable to reload and try again, but if I wanted to make up my own rules I wouldn't have bought your shitty game in the first place. Just give me an interesting challenge and let me use every tool at my disposal to overcome it; if I have to spend even one second thinking up creative ways to hobble myself, you've fucking failed as a designer.

I expect a game to force me to do interesting things, and so I'm disappointed when say a shmup lets me continue forever even though I know I don't have to continue even once.

Online leaderboards solve this problem nicely. When the goal is getting a high score instead of reaching the end of the game, credit-feeding ceases to be a viable strategy. And of course, I am always amazed at the way an Xbox Live achievement ("finish the game without abusing feature X") can completely change the way I approach a campaign - of course I shouldn't be, since goals are maybe the single most important thing in any game, but the entire concept of achievement gets such a bad rap among story- and experiential-gamers that it's easy to forget how central WINNING and LOSING are to the very act of gaming itself.
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Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale by Jerry Whorebach 05/31/2011, 1:51pm PDT NEW
    He doesn't have an inner ear infection, he travels in ARCS, OKAY by laudablepuss 05/31/2011, 4:17pm PDT NEW
    What was the final verdict on Temple of Elemental Evil? by Mischief Maker 05/31/2011, 5:03pm PDT NEW
        I would also like to know this. by Jerry Whorebach 05/31/2011, 6:25pm PDT NEW
            Review from the past by Qt3 Reporter 05/31/2011, 11:04pm PDT NEW
                Seconding this by Entropy Stew 06/01/2011, 4:41am PDT NEW
                    Unfortunately you need .net to install the final Co8 user patch. :( NT by Mischief Maker 06/01/2011, 9:59am PDT NEW
                        It's 2011. NT by install .Net 06/01/2011, 2:31pm PDT NEW
                            Next thing you'll tell him that he has to have DirectX. NT by FoK 06/01/2011, 2:43pm PDT NEW
                                Direct9 still works great. NT by motherfuckerfoodeater 06/01/2011, 4:04pm PDT NEW
                                    Holy shit, you guys use third party graphics cards? NT by I like to keep my system clean. 06/02/2011, 10:48am PDT NEW
                                        The hip kids of Portland, Maine can hook you up NT by fabio 06/02/2011, 11:15am PDT NEW
                I just bought it by Bananadine 06/03/2011, 2:46pm PDT NEW
                    Ugh these dice games by Bananadine 06/08/2011, 11:11am PDT NEW
                        I don't understand how you're comparing a deep tactical game to Diablo by Entropy Stew 06/08/2011, 11:39am PDT NEW
                            Re: I don't understand how you're comparing a deep tactical game to Diablo by Bananadine 06/08/2011, 1:33pm PDT NEW
                                In D&D, small numbers make a HUGE difference. by Jerry Whorebach 06/08/2011, 3:34pm PDT NEW
                                    Re: In D&D, small numbers make a HUGE difference. by Bananadine 06/08/2011, 4:45pm PDT NEW
                                        Re: In D&D, small numbers make a HUGE difference. by Jerry Whorebach 06/08/2011, 5:40pm PDT NEW
                        Being level 1 is terrible in D&D by Arbit 06/15/2011, 2:01pm PDT NEW
                            Re: Being level 1 is terrible in D&D by Bananadine 06/19/2011, 6:47pm PDT NEW
                                You just attacked with laser-precision two of my least-favourite game mechanics. by Jerry Whorebach 06/20/2011, 2:25am PDT NEW
                                    What do you mean by "experiential-gamers"? NT by Bananadine 06/20/2011, 1:16pm PDT NEW
                                        Is that not a real term? I admit, I don't read a lot of blogs. by Jerry Whorebach 06/20/2011, 2:43pm PDT NEW
                                    Tetsuya Nomura: way ahead of me! by Jerry Whorebach 07/06/2011, 3:45pm PDT NEW
                                        QTE JRPGs. The perfect singularity of crap. NT by Mischief Maker 07/06/2011, 4:01pm PDT NEW
                                            They could probably still work Facebook in there, somehow. by Jerry Whorebach 07/06/2011, 4:14pm PDT NEW
                                                The facebook farm game mystifies me. by Mischief Maker 07/06/2011, 4:59pm PDT NEW
                                                    And why do people do math for fun? (Sudoku) NT by And spelling? (crosswords) OR READ 07/06/2011, 8:20pm PDT NEW
                                                        Let me finish that sentence for you: HARRY POTTER by Jerry Whorebach 07/06/2011, 9:32pm PDT NEW
 
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