Slowtrain Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 What is some stuff you wish game designers would get rid of in games? What stuff really pisses you off or has made for some traumatic gaming moments when you thought your monitor was going out the window due to extreme frustration? One thing I hate is what I call "gotchas". These are little traps that developers put into games that you can't possibly know about until you spring them and then you die. Horribly. And reload. I remember once I was playing HExen coop with a friend. We had just negotiated an extremely long and rather tedious level and we were carefully crossing a narrow ledge around a pit of lava. Suddenly, the section of wall beside us smashed forward across the ledge, hurling my friend's mage into the lava pit. Great. Now that's challenging gameplay. We looked at each other, probably both realizing at the same time that our last save was some time ago and that we were going to have to replay a big chunk of that level again. Hexen went into the trash and we went to watch TV instead. I suppose game developers give themselve little tingly pleasures when they design stuff like that, but I totally hate it. What's your hate? Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Llyranor Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Morrowind. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
kalniel Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 What is some stuff you wish game designers would get rid of in games? What stuff really pisses you off or has made for some traumatic gaming moments when you thought your monitor was going out the window due to extreme frustration? I think pretty similar to you - things that just seem outright 'unfair'. My main hate is things like monsters spawning in when you're part way through a room - fine if there's a reason for that like you failed a spot check or they were 'ported in or something. But just unexplained spawning really annoys me.
Slowtrain Posted November 10, 2008 Author Posted November 10, 2008 Morrowind. Oblivion. That's a package deal. Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Slowtrain Posted November 10, 2008 Author Posted November 10, 2008 What is some stuff you wish game designers would get rid of in games? What stuff really pisses you off or has made for some traumatic gaming moments when you thought your monitor was going out the window due to extreme frustration? I think pretty similar to you - things that just seem outright 'unfair'. My main hate is things like monsters spawning in when you're part way through a room - fine if there's a reason for that like you failed a spot check or they were 'ported in or something. But just unexplained spawning really annoys me. Or like when a dozen hook horrors suddenly appear right behind your party when there is no way they could have been there. OMG, they were in his shoe! Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Pidesco Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Hand holding. General lack of challenge. "My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian touristI am Dan Quayle of the Romans.I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.Heja Sverige!!Everyone should cuffawkle more.The wrench is your friend.
Wrath of Dagon Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 By numbers, factory assembled games, which is 99% of them. "Moral indignation is a standard strategy for endowing the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan
Morgoth Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) Most of these silly flaws are mostly concerned to older games. Modern games these days are so easy and streamlined that you can't possibly do anything wrong before some tutorial system tells you otherwise. Some of the "newer" games however I hated was Call of Cthulhu. 2006 game release, but the level design and jump/puzzle sections reminded me of some friggin 1997 game. Edited November 10, 2008 by Morgoth Rain makes everything better.
Kaftan Barlast Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Ive got a new design flaw that me and my friends talkd about the other day: Making the game harder by either fudging the controls or completely disable layer control. The former was mor common in the olden days of platform twitch gaming, but it still exists today. The makers of Deadspace have said in interviews that they deliberately made the controls slightly slightly sluggish so the player couldnt pull quakemoves and completely destroy the monsters, and so would feel more vulnerable to monster attacks. The Witcher usd the dreaded "remove control" system by having monsters that were able to paralyze and then freely butcher the player without him having any chance of avoiding it. Later on in the game you could make potions to counteract this aswell as getting a special ability that made you immune. But thats just trying to patch up an already broken game mechanic. DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself. Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture. "I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "
Morgoth Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Thinking of Dead Space, I'm still waiting for a patch so that a can configure my keyboard. The WASD controls piss me totally off! Rain makes everything better.
Pidesco Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Ive got a new design flaw that me and my friends talkd about the other day: Making the game harder by either fudging the controls or completely disable layer control. The former was mor common in the olden days of platform twitch gaming, but it still exists today. The makers of Deadspace have said in interviews that they deliberately made the controls slightly slightly sluggish so the player couldnt pull quakemoves and completely destroy the monsters, and so would feel more vulnerable to monster attacks. The Witcher usd the dreaded "remove control" system by having monsters that were able to paralyze and then freely butcher the player without him having any chance of avoiding it. Later on in the game you could make potions to counteract this aswell as getting a special ability that made you immune. But thats just trying to patch up an already broken game mechanic. Resident Evil games are designed around the idea of the player having crap controls. Resident Evil 4 was hailed as an action masterpiece in spite of it. "My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian touristI am Dan Quayle of the Romans.I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.Heja Sverige!!Everyone should cuffawkle more.The wrench is your friend.
Enoch Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) Repetitive filler combat (often respawning) put in place to increase the estimated playtime. I'd rather play a 10-hour game with 10 hours of interesting content than a 20-hour game with 10 hours of interesting content and 10 hours of tedious padding. Edited November 10, 2008 by Enoch
Aristes Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Repetitive filler combat (often respawning) put in place to increase the estimated playtime. I'd rather play a 10-hour game with 10 hours of interesting content than a 20-hour game with 10 hours of interesting content and 10 hours of tedious padding. Amen, bro.
Nick_i_am Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 coop. I hate other people and want to sulk in my room on my own pretending to be a vampire. (Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)
Gfted1 Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) Thinking of Dead Space, I'm still waiting for a patch so that a can configure my keyboard. The WASD controls piss me totally off! Lol, Im just the opposite. I cant function by using the arrow keys at all. I seem to remember that was one of the things that pissed me off about NWN2. It felt very unnatural to me considering you also had to use the mouse. Edited November 10, 2008 by Gfted1 "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me, Papa"
Volourn Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 "Modern games these days are so easy and streamlined that you can't possibly do anything wrong before some tutorial system tells you otherwise." Disagree. Olde rgames were ratehr easy. Consideirng I (and, many otehrs, incluyding those p0osting here) managed to beat them when they were just little kiddies; older games couldn't be THAT hard. Most of 'em were easy as pie. Anyways, I'd go games that claim to be huge yet many areas are empty or bare or boring with nothing or very little to do. ME, ES games, and bG1 are infected by this to varying degrees. DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.
AStanton Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Non-skippable cutscenes (Bioware I'm looking at you), preferable with a tough fight and no way to save afterwards.
Arkan Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) Games that are essentially trial and error in nature. Splinter Cell, for example, always felt like every part of every level was trial and error. Edited November 10, 2008 by Arkan "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta
Arkan Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 One thing I hate is what I call "gotchas". These are little traps that developers put into games that you can't possibly know about until you spring them and then you die. Horribly. And reload. I remember once I was playing HExen coop with a friend. We had just negotiated an extremely long and rather tedious level and we were carefully crossing a narrow ledge around a pit of lava. Suddenly, the section of wall beside us smashed forward across the ledge, hurling my friend's mage into the lava pit. Great. Now that's challenging gameplay. As long as they're done well, as they actually are in Fallout 3, I like traps. But what is wrong with the example you gave? "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta
Purkake Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) I hate the "let's have stats" mentality in newer RPGs. Just look at Mass Effect, most of the stats stuff is meaningless and don't get me started on the inventory system... I feel that if I am not exited about choosing my stuff at the next level up, then it might just as well not be there (mmm Baldur's Gate 2 and NWN2 were awesome in that respect). Edited November 10, 2008 by Purkake
Kelverin Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) Non-skippable cutscenesALL CUT SCENES. If you want to make a movie, get into movies. There ****ing retarded Find another way to convey your (my) story. Repetitive filler combat This And of course forced companions. Edited November 10, 2008 by Kelverin J1 Visa Southern California Cleaning
Slowtrain Posted November 10, 2008 Author Posted November 10, 2008 Anyways, I'd go games that claim to be huge yet many areas are empty or bare or boring with nothing or very little to do. ME, ES games, and bG1 are infected by this to varying degrees. Didn't Fallout 2 do this as well? One of your favorite games? Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Slowtrain Posted November 10, 2008 Author Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) But what is wrong with the example you gave? Its not fun? I mean its basically like your character is walking around a map and a lighning bolt strikes him dead for no reason. What's the point? Except for forcing a reload? Games that are essentially trial and error in nature. Splinter Cell, for example, always felt like every part of every level was trial and error. Trial and error is a give and take process between developer and gamer. The developer presents a problem; the gamer attempts to find an answer. Simply forcing death on a gamer's character without offering a chance to respond is the epitome of total crap game design. I think. Edited November 10, 2008 by CrashGirl Notice how I can belittle your beliefs without calling you names. It's a useful skill to have particularly where you aren't allowed to call people names. It's a mistake to get too drawn in/worked up. I mean it's not life or death, it's just two guys posting their thoughts on a message board. If it were personal or face to face all the usual restraints would be in place, and we would never have reached this place in the first place. Try to remember that.
Maria Caliban Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 One thing I hate is what I call "gotchas". These are little traps that developers put into games that you can't possibly know about until you spring them and then you die. Horribly. And reload. I remember once I was playing HExen coop with a friend. We had just negotiated an extremely long and rather tedious level and we were carefully crossing a narrow ledge around a pit of lava. Suddenly, the section of wall beside us smashed forward across the ledge, hurling my friend's mage into the lava pit. Great. Now that's challenging gameplay. As long as they're done well, as they actually are in Fallout 3, I like traps. But what is wrong with the example you gave? She forgot to periodically save. "When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon.
Dark_Raven Posted November 10, 2008 Posted November 10, 2008 Unkillable characters Forced npcs into your party (Kotor 1, Kotor 2) Hades was the life of the party. RIP You'll be missed.
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