Quicksave for the PC version?

[Flatfingers]

So far I'm liking most of the things I've seen and read about this one. (Falling back on the "evil corporations" trope is the one exception.)

 

But I haven't yet heard any official confirmation of whether quicksave will be supported for the PC version. Is that being implemented, or will the PC version only get console-style checkpoint saving?

[Big-Ben]

I cannot believe that Obsidian being who they are won't be acutely aware of the PC market and all the basic trimmings people are accustomed to. I'd imagine they'll be putting in things like an FOV slider/option as well. Quicksave is a staple I fully expect it to be included. The announcement here was just preliminary and I expect more details (Obviously) down the line. Obsidian has great Twitch streams too and I'm sure they'll address stuff there too!

[Flatfingers]

I cannot believe that Obsidian being who they are won't be acutely aware of the PC market and all the basic trimmings people are accustomed to. I'd imagine they'll be putting in things like an FOV slider/option as well. Quicksave is a staple I fully expect it to be included. The announcement here was just preliminary and I expect more details (Obviously) down the line. Obsidian has great Twitch streams too and I'm sure they'll address stuff there too!

 

I very much hope you're proven right!

[cheesealmighty]

I mean, it's not a proper RPG if you can't quicksave to murder the entire town folk when I DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN TO THE BLOODY CLOUD DISTRICT YOU REDGUARD SCUM. 

 

*Loading screen*

 

Ahem. Sorry. Right. Right, of course I didn't. Good day.

[Flatfingers]

Nobody likes Nazeem. This is known. 

 

One thing, though -- I just fired up Alpha Protocol, which I played all the way through a number of years ago, to refresh my memory. What I found was that it was third-person only, and it didn't offer a proper save-anytime function -- it was checkpoint-only.

 

The third-person thing seems to have been cured for TOW, if the demo footage is any indication. I also saw a checkpoint save happen... but I haven't seen the player execute a quicksave.

 

So that leaves me still looking for an Official Comment: regardless of what the console versions do, will the PC version of this game allow players to save when they want?

[Thaudal]

Save-anywhere-anytime-you-want on PC is a dealbreaker kind of feature for me. No matter how excited I am for this game, if it's not there, then I'll pass.

 

I hate that we're in a day and age now where this is something we can't just assume, like it was once.

 

While on the subject of features that were once so common that asking if they'd be there would be silly, but now with the "consolization" of games is no longer the case: will we also be able to jump?

I'm thinking yes, since FPS, but you really never know these days.

[Eelectrica]

Oh yeah, I really hope we can save anywhere. I just assumed we could because that's how it is in other recent Obsidian games I've played.

Is also close to a deal breaker if not.

It's an RPG and that means reloading if needs be.

 

Checkpoint saves work in Borderlands because it's just a shooter and the progress is just a reason to shoot new bad guys.

[LadyCrimson]

Did the TC mean quick save (press one key to save while in-game) or manual save (go into a menu to save)?

 

I can live without a quick save (almost never use that actually), but yeah, manual saving of some sort is important ... even on a console version. Console games these days do often have manual save systems, y'know, if it's not an enforced linear story chapt. movement (some jrpg's come to mind) or online game.

 

Also, if not unlimited save slots, please don't limit me to 8 manual save slots like FFXV did (where Square's lazy butts kept it to 8 even on the PC version). At least 20, ok?

[Malcador]

RPG in name only if there are quick saves

[Chairchucker]

RPG in name only if there are quick saves

 

 

 

It's an RPG and that means reloading if needs be.

lol ok guys

[Flatfingers]

Did the TC mean quick save (press one key to save while in-game) or manual save (go into a menu to save)?

Being able to save manually is by far the more important, but quicksave is a welcome convenience. (I used the word "quicksave" because it implies manual saving and is a little faster to type. )

 

Also, if not unlimited save slots, please don't limit me to 8 manual save slots like FFXV did (where Square's lazy butts kept it to 8 even on the PC version). At least 20, ok?

I agree with this as well. It feels wrong to gimp the PC version of a game just to minimize code differences between the PC and console builds so that the code's a little easier to maintain.

 

So far, I haven't described why I'm asking about this feature, but I see there are some "what is an RPG?" questions, so maybe now's a good time.

 

I like to explore game worlds. I'll spend many hours engaging deeply with not just the level geometry, but with the game's aesthetics and (especially) dynamic systems -- not to try to break them, but to understand them and enjoy the effort the developers put into them.

 

At-will saving helps me do that because it reduces the risk of my losing progress when I poke around into places and try experiments. Design elements that penalize exploration, such as timers (including both mission timers as well as QTEs as in Alpha Protocol), unkillable enemies, and checkpoint-only saving, are signals that the developer wants to cater primarily to the many gamers who enjoy action-oriented challenge and intense sensations -- not to explorers like me.

 

That's fine, if that's the kind of game the developer is trying to deliver. Challenge and sensation are both 100% valid ways of having fun, as is emotionally deep storytelling. But so is knowledge-discovery: collecting information to generate testable theories about patterns. That may not sound like fun to you, but it's also 100% a valid kind of fun for other gamers.

 

I'm very familiar with the argument that "save-scumming makes the game too easy." But that's not a strong argument:

 

1. In a single-player game, how I play doesn't affect you. If the most important thing for you is an exciting challenge, no one can make you save manually; but if that feature's not implemented, an important tool for my fun is taken away.

 

2. Preventing all players from saving when they want is a terribly lazy way to artificially increase the challenge of a game. It's useful as an optional feature for the players who want it, but most of the challenge of a game ought to be designed into the (character-side) content of the game world itself, not managed via an external (player-side) function.

 

3. Twitch-style challenge is important for some people, but not as important for others. Understanding systems is also a kind of challenge, but it rewards thinking deeply over thinking quickly. It's OK for games to serve both kinds of fun.

 

4. Being able to save in a CRPG gives me more RPG, not less, because by exploring different alternatives I can ensure that my character is built to suit the role I'm trying to play. That's not about min-maxing tangible (power-progression) results; it's about finding the most accurate way of expressing the nature of the character I'm roleplaying.

 

Not being trusted with the power to save at will can mean the developer wants to rush the player past one pretty but shallow façade after another (yes, I'm looking at you, Bioshock Infinite). Being trusted with the power to save at will sends a better message: the developer understands the pleasure many gamers feel at engaging deeply with a game's content.

 

Every time I've said, "Well, they refuse to let me save manually, but this game looks like fun otherwise so I'll pay to try it," I've regretted that decision.

 

I'm really hoping Obsidian will implement save-anytime in The Outer Worlds so that I have no reason to pass on it.

[mkreku]

I need my save scumming..

[Dodo00d]

I would really appreciate being able to hit F5 whenever I want to. The worst example of this I can remember was Alpha Protocoll with it's horrible stealth mechanic I have no idea how much time I wasted reloading to the last checkpoint because the broken AI spottetd me from across the map .

[Blu3Fr0G]

 

Did the TC mean quick save (press one key to save while in-game) or manual save (go into a menu to save)?

Being able to save manually is by far the more important, but quicksave is a welcome convenience. (I used the word "quicksave" because it implies manual saving and is a little faster to type. )

 

Also, if not unlimited save slots, please don't limit me to 8 manual save slots like FFXV did (where Square's lazy butts kept it to 8 even on the PC version). At least 20, ok?

I agree with this as well. It feels wrong to gimp the PC version of a game just to minimize code differences between the PC and console builds so that the code's a little easier to maintain.

 

So far, I haven't described why I'm asking about this feature, but I see there are some "what is an RPG?" questions, so maybe now's a good time.

 

I like to explore game worlds. I'll spend many hours engaging deeply with not just the level geometry, but with the game's aesthetics and (especially) dynamic systems -- not to try to break them, but to understand them and enjoy the effort the developers put into them.

 

At-will saving helps me do that because it reduces the risk of my losing progress when I poke around into places and try experiments. Design elements that penalize exploration, such as timers (including both mission timers as well as QTEs as in Alpha Protocol), unkillable enemies, and checkpoint-only saving, are signals that the developer wants to cater primarily to the many gamers who enjoy action-oriented challenge and intense sensations -- not to explorers like me.

 

That's fine, if that's the kind of game the developer is trying to deliver. Challenge and sensation are both 100% valid ways of having fun, as is emotionally deep storytelling. But so is knowledge-discovery: collecting information to generate testable theories about patterns. That may not sound like fun to you, but it's also 100% a valid kind of fun for other gamers.

 

I'm very familiar with the argument that "save-scumming makes the game too easy." But that's not a strong argument:

 

1. In a single-player game, how I play doesn't affect you. If the most important thing for you is an exciting challenge, no one can make you save manually; but if that feature's not implemented, an important tool for my fun is taken away.

 

2. Preventing all players from saving when they want is a terribly lazy way to artificially increase the challenge of a game. It's useful as an optional feature for the players who want it, but most of the challenge of a game ought to be designed into the (character-side) content of the game world itself, not managed via an external (player-side) function.

 

3. Twitch-style challenge is important for some people, but not as important for others. Understanding systems is also a kind of challenge, but it rewards thinking deeply over thinking quickly. It's OK for games to serve both kinds of fun.

 

4. Being able to save in a CRPG gives me more RPG, not less, because by exploring different alternatives I can ensure that my character is built to suit the role I'm trying to play. That's not about min-maxing tangible (power-progression) results; it's about finding the most accurate way of expressing the nature of the character I'm roleplaying.

 

Not being trusted with the power to save at will can mean the developer wants to rush the player past one pretty but shallow façade after another (yes, I'm looking at you, Bioshock Infinite). Being trusted with the power to save at will sends a better message: the developer understands the pleasure many gamers feel at engaging deeply with a game's content.

 

Every time I've said, "Well, they refuse to let me save manually, but this game looks like fun otherwise so I'll pay to try it," I've regretted that decision.

 

I'm really hoping Obsidian will implement save-anytime in The Outer Worlds so that I have no reason to pass on it.

 

 

I cannot like this comment enough.

If there would be super-like, I would use it right now.

[Flatfingers]

I cannot like this comment enough.

If there would be super-like, I would use it right now.

<blush>

 

Thank you for making my day.

 

With that completely wrapped up, then   , now we just need to hear from Obsidian!