Question to the Developers about the save system.

[genci88]

Will we have the option to save anywhere? At least on the PC version?

 

The lack of a save anywhere system is a major problem that I have with several multiplatforms (deal breaking, I must say). I find that repeating sections simply because there is no option to save is quite a poor gameplay decision, destroys any immersion, and I usually never finish those particular games.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited June 8, 2009 by genci88

[Tigranes]

A checkpoint save system will be used in Alpha Protocol, as seen in E3.

 

It does annoy me when I have to repeat sections, but I find it also makes me think about metagaming less and also play the game more carefully (which meant Thief 3's checkpoints worked very well for me).

[Gorth]

It does annoy me when I have to repeat sections, but I find it also makes me think about metagaming less and also play the game more carefully (which meant Thief 3's checkpoints worked very well for me).

I feel the exact opposite way. It becomes all about metagaming. Planning trips between save points, creating an overall disjointed feel to a game, talk about "immersion" killers

[Oner]

Judging by this and other forums, everything is immersion breaking.

[genci88]

Then I am sorry but I will not buy this game. I just removed it from my Amazon wishlist.

 

Thanks for the info.

[Guest PoziomyPion]

Well I remember devs saying that those checkpoints are frequent so you won't have to repeat sections a lot like in Resident Evil. I myself like checkpoints, it's more exciting when you cannot quick load after you die in a game and return to where you have been 5 secs ago.

 

You will be missing quite a good game, but hey it's not my money. Besides on E3 OBS showed the console version of Alpha Protocol, I have a feeling that they will add a quicksave for PC version of the game.

If I were you I'd wait for a definite answer, maybe devs will respond.

[Oner]

Well I remember devs saying that those checkpoints are frequent so you won't have to repeat sections a lot like in Resident Evil. I myself like checkpoints, it's more exciting when you cannot quick load after you die in a game and return to where you have been 5 secs ago.

 

You will be missing quite a good game, but hey it's not my money. Besides on E3 OBS showed the console version of Alpha Protocol, I have a feeling that they will add a quicksave for PC version of the game.

If I were you I'd wait for a definite answer, maybe devs will respond.

+1 on that.

[Starwars]

I would still play the game if there were checkpoints, but let it be known that I to *really* prefer the usual saves for PC. Really hope they'll add that.

[Wrath of Dagon]

A checkpoint save system will be used in Alpha Protocol, as seen in E3.

 

It does annoy me when I have to repeat sections, but I find it also makes me think about metagaming less and also play the game more carefully (which meant Thief 3's checkpoints worked very well for me).

You can save any time in T3, which is one reason I infinitely preferred it to Splinter Cell.

[Sannom]

You can save any time in T3, which is one reason I infinitely preferred it to Splinter Cell.

 

You can save at any time in Splinter Cell too, no? The way I remember it, I could. On PC at least.

[Rostere]

You can save any time in T3, which is one reason I infinitely preferred it to Splinter Cell.

 

You can save at any time in Splinter Cell too, no? The way I remember it, I could. On PC at least.

 

I know it's strange, but I've heard there are actually people who prefer to play games on boxes they plug into their TVs somehow. For some inexplicable reason these users are often bothered by not being able to save anywhere in their games.

[Pidesco]

I play games on a box that is plugged to my TV. I don't have a console.

[Gfted1]

Will we have the option to save anywhere? At least on the PC version?

 

The lack of a save anywhere system is a major problem that I have with several multiplatforms (deal breaking, I must say). I find that repeating sections simply because there is no option to save is quite a poor gameplay decision, destroys any immersion, and I usually never finish those particular games.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Dev answer.

[Morgoth]

I always wondered: Is it mandatory from the platform holders to use save points? Why can't you just designate a button for a quicksave function, for example?

[Wrath of Dagon]

You can save any time in T3, which is one reason I infinitely preferred it to Splinter Cell.

 

You can save at any time in Splinter Cell too, no? The way I remember it, I could. On PC at least.

I played on the Xbox, and it only had checkpoints, and they weren't generous either.

[Hell Kitty]

Why can't you just designate a button for a quicksave function, for example?

 

On a controller? It'd be a waste of a button to dedicate it solely to a quicksave function.

 

You can save at any time in Splinter Cell too, no? The way I remember it, I could. On PC at least.

 

Probably depends on which SC. DA on the 360 allows you to save anywhere, whereas I think the original had save anywhere on PC and checkpoints on Xbox.

 

While I don't like the idea of having to repeat things over and over because of a difficult spot right before the next checkpoint, the reality is that checkpoints haven't proven an issue for me in the majority of games with them, and as such it's not something I can get my knickers in a twist over.

 

I actually like the save system in Hitman: Blood Money. You could save anywhere, but you only had a limited amounts of saves, with the higher the difficulty level the fewer the saves.

[Wrath of Dagon]

You could make it so the first option when pressing the start button would be quicksave, so you press A and you're done. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath did saves particularly well, but I don't remember the exact system.

[genci88]

Well I remember devs saying that those checkpoints are frequent so you won't have to repeat sections a lot like in Resident Evil. I myself like checkpoints, it's more exciting when you cannot quick load after you die in a game and return to where you have been 5 secs ago.

 

You will be missing quite a good game, but hey it's not my money. Besides on E3 OBS showed the console version of Alpha Protocol, I have a feeling that they will add a quicksave for PC version of the game.

If I were you I'd wait for a definite answer, maybe devs will respond.

You are right. I'll wait for a dev to confirm the lack or inclusion of a save anywhere feature.

 

Honestly, and I mentioned this on another forum, an RPG that doesn't allow you to save anywhere at your own will is not an RPG.

[Enoch]

Honestly, and I mentioned this on another forum, an RPG that doesn't allow you to save anywhere at your own will is not an RPG.

Wow. I've seen some ridiculously arbitrary genre definitions in my time, but that one might just take the cake.

 

(Hint: When was the last time you were in the midst of a late-night session of tabletop D&D and your buddy playing the cleric put down is Mountain Dew and said "Wait a minute, Steve-- before your barbarian kicks that door open, I think we should save our game"?)

 

 

I'm no great fan of checkpoint save systems, but it's not going to stop me from playing a game that I think I otherwise would enjoy. Also, I agree with Hell Kitty that H:BM's system was a neat adaptation.

Edited June 8, 2009 by Enoch

[genci88]

Wow. I've seen some ridiculously arbitrary genre definitions in my time, but that one might just take the cake.

 

(Hint: When was the last time you were in the midst of a late-night session of tabletop D&D and your buddy playing the cleric put down is Mountain Dew and said "Wait a minute, Steve-- before your barbarian kicks that door open, I'd like to create a save point"?)

 

 

I'm no great fan of save-point systems, but it's not going to stop me from playing a game that I think I otherwise would enjoy. Also, I agree with Hell Kitty that H:BM's system was a neat adaptation.

The lack of a save anywhere feature hinders exploration (a major feature of role playing games).

 

It also causes major repetition, which in turn kills the game's atmosphere and immersion (going through the same 5 minute game stretch 5 times because an enemy in a particular place is too hard to kill and unavoidable).

 

And it's not arbitrary. The save anywhere is a genre defining feature of an RPG. Name me one true RPG that doesn't allow you to save anywhere (PC games only please, since I don't play and consequently know many console games).

[Enoch]

Well, I already named the most important one-- every tabletop RPG, upon which all the computerized RPGs were based. Very early CRPGs (I'm thinking of The Bard's Tale, Might & Magic 1-2, and possibly the early Wizardry games as well) followed this pattern and employed a checkpoint system in that the game was only saved when you returned to an Inn in town. The original Pool of Radiance only let you save the game in town, in camp in the wilderness, or on a map that you had already cleared of monsters (I don't recall whether the other Gold Box games continued this or not).

 

Also, I'd say that a large majority of modern CRPGs prevent saving in the midst of combat and when hostile enemies are nearby. A checkpoint save system merely extends this prohibition by defining the areas where you can save instead of defining the circumstances where you cannot.

 

 

Just for fun, some devil's-advocate counterpoints:

The lack of a save anywhere feature hinders exploration (a major feature of role playing games).

The inclusion of a save-anywhere system hinders choices with consequences (a major feature of role playing games) by letting the player take a quick "re-do" when a decision he/she makes doesn't come out very well.

 

It also causes major repetition, which in turn kills the game's atmosphere and immersion (going through the same 5 minute game stretch 5 times because an enemy in a particular place is too hard to kill and unavoidable).

Save-anywhere systems also reduce difficulty, making a game too easy by letting the player take consequence-free attempts at difficult encounters so long as they have a save game set up a second before the tough fight.

 

(Seriously, if your only concerns in defining an RPG are exploration and the lack of repetition, Civilization must be one of the greatest PRGs ever made! You can save anywhere, you're constantly exploring, and the game is never the same twice!)

Edited June 8, 2009 by Enoch

[Wrath of Dagon]

Normally in an open-ended game I like to save and then experiment. With checkpoints, I feel like I need to perfect the most obvious route instead so I can get to the next checkpoint. This is better suited to linear shooters IMO.

[Oblarg]

Normally in an open-ended game I like to save and then experiment. With checkpoints, I feel like I need to perfect the most obvious route instead so I can get to the next checkpoint. This is better suited to linear shooters IMO.

 

That's the point. They don't want you going through a conversation, saying "oh crap, I didn't like that outcome," then loading and trying again. That removes the entire point of the real-time dialogue. Make decisions, make decisions quickly, and make them right, or you suffer the consequences of not saying what you want to say.

 

Were they to allow saves at any time, replayability would decline.

[genci88]

^ Not if the consequences are not immediate.

 

Plus I rarely reload for saying something wrong to someone. And even if I want to reload, what's wrong with that? It's role playing game FFS, and I should be able to do whatever I want.

 

All I need is a Mass Effect style save system (which allows you to save anytime you are not in a battle or close to enemies, in addition to having a checkpoint based autosave). Honestly I never save during battles anyway.

 

OK HOW ABOUT THE OPTION? As in having both save anywhere, and checkpoint system.

 

You don't want to save , that's fine. You don't have to, and can instead rely on the checkpoint system. But the rest of us who would like to save anywhere should have THE OPTION, wouldn't you agree

Edited June 8, 2009 by genci88

[mrmumbles]

OK HOW ABOUT THE OPTION? As in having both save anywhere, and checkpoint system.

 

You don't want to save , that's fine. You don't have to, and can instead rely on the checkpoint system. But the rest of us who would like to save anywhere should have THE OPTION, wouldn't you agree

If, and I mean if, that was possible it would be great. On the other hand, I would rather have a great game in which the saves anger me; than a game that sucks, yet the saves are superb.