Console commands / cheat codes, and why they are a lifesaving feature

[NihilCredo]

I know that the exact level of mod support is currently still to be determined. However, what about a player-accessible console, or at the very least a couple of cheat codes? Can we get those with Unity?

 

There's two reasons why it's really needed, and why I'm popping my forum cherry with this thread:

 

First, CRPGs are big messy things and I'm sure a lot of people who played BG2 got a lot of value out of CLUAConsole-ing their way out of glitches. (Bethesda-engine games, even more so.) It's a great fail-safe to have in place, and without it I'd probably never have completed DeArnise's Keep in my very first playthrough.

 

Secondly, well... the new trailers showed some of the spiders. There's a decent number of arachnophobic players out there, and God Mode-ing or teleporting your way past the ickies has generally been the most common way for them to deal with the issue when mods weren't available. This usually elicits disbelief from people without any phobias themselves, but check e.g. the Nexus for spider-removing mods and you'll see that yes, people do really have this problem and no, they really can't just shrug it off.

 

So... Can I haz CTRL-Y plz?

Edited December 11, 2013 by NihilCredo

[pseudonymous]

Wouldn't it be better for people to work through their problems by killing the little bastards giving them fits rather than cheating their way through it?

[StromIV]

Depends on the severity of the phobia.  It isn't as simple as some people seem to think to just 'get over' it or to try and work through it.  Some might have the phobia, but can play a game.  Others have severe reactions to even the smallest spider, even if they might know that it couldn't do anything  to them.  I say give them a way to get past it.

[Hassat Hunter]

Should be replacement mods within the week most probably...

[Gfted1]

For the love of god, I hope somebody mods in a portable campsite asap.

[Pipyui]

I'm certainly hoping for the console, more games need one in my opinion.   Cheat codes are fun too, if you can do some crazy things with them that wouldn't otherwise make it into the game.  I'm not particularly arachnophobic myself, so I'm more interested to see mods that add monsters rather than remove them.

 

And just as a counterpoint to gfted1, I'll be sure to make a mod first thing that shall do nothing except remove all campsites from the game (maybe I'll give you a health potion.  One health potion).

[Gfted1]

And just as a counterpoint to gfted1, I'll be sure to make a mod first thing that shall do nothing except remove all campsites from the game (maybe I'll give you a health potion.  One health potion).

Please kind sir, show mercy. I don't want to schlep back to a rest spot after every goddamn fight:

 

I've seen unlucky characters get to about 30% Health in one fight due to being healed (Stamina healing) and having Reviving Exhortation used on them after dropping without adequate protection. Going into subsequent fights, those characters typically get put way in the back or with someone protecting them. Otherwise it's really easy for them to get maimed/killed.

[ShadySands]

I hope it has console commands because I love to cheat

 

There, I said it

 

Don't judge me

[NihilCredo]

I hope it has console commands because I love to cheat

 

There, I said it

 

Don't judge me

 

Taking a random squirrel or rabbit into your party and making him slay dragons was one of the funniest things to do in BG2.

 

But that kind of stuff is added functionality, and you could still have a great game without it. I made this thread because console commands and cheat codes can prevent the game from becoming unplayable for various reasons.

[Pipyui]

Please kind sir, show mercy. I don't want to schlep back to a rest spot after every goddamn fight

 

Satan:  "Welcome, Pipyui!  I'm glad you made it down, we've prepared a special place to stay just for you!"

Me:  "Oh wow!  Eh, but you know, I was just thinking that, well, maybe this world has no need for 'a place to stay,' so I'll just erase that for you." *zap*

Satan:  "You!  What ... power!  What cruelty!  I ... can't let you threaten my throne - you must die here!"

Me:  "Oh, you like your throne, do you?  Hmmmmm, it'd be a shame if something were to ... happen to it." *zap*

Satan:  "What ... How ... ?  You are evil!  A devil - no, worse!  To call you Satan would only sugar-coat your dreaded majesty!  Pipyui, I ... I abscond to your will.  I cannot claim such capacity for suffering."

Me:  "Hm, this is a nice Hell you've got here.  Perhaps I'll just-"

Satan:  "Oh, shut up."

 

[Gfted1]

[samm]

Command console yes - to tamper with system settings and fps display and whatnot. Cheating? I don't care, wouldn't use it, but also (no longer) want to impose my opinion on cheaters.

[Hassat Hunter]

I made this thread because console commands and cheat codes can prevent the game from becoming unplayable for various reasons.

Well, Larian would just accept savegames from people and fix them and send them back, but I suppose do-it-yourself is way easier and less time-consuming for developers .

[Silent Winter]

I agree - console commands to be able to correct bugs = lifegame-saver in BG1+2.

Cheating in a demon to run amok is fun in a 4th or 5th playthrough

[serguma]

It is always good to have more options and it can be fun to mess with, summoning monsters, etc.

So yes, I think a console is a good idea .

[anameforobsidian]

Cheat consoles are always a good addition, but I doubt they'll be missing in this game.  I always got the impression that they're more for the playtesters than players.

[Hassat Hunter]

Well, they ARE.

I can't imagine how hard it would be to make mods or bug-test without the console. And during Conquisitor beta (also on Unity) the console did help rectify issues (to workaround till the fix), identify issues (which is, as one can expect, vital) and similar such things.

 

So yeah, if you get the impression cheats and consoles are added for the testers, you would be right. They're not just added for cheating gamers .

[Lu Jo]

Cheating can be fun, so I'd like to have the option.

[pseudonymous]

Depends on the severity of the phobia.  It isn't as simple as some people seem to think to just 'get over' it or to try and work through it.  Some might have the phobia, but can play a game.  Others have severe reactions to even the smallest spider, even if they might know that it couldn't do anything  to them.  I say give them a way to get past it.

 

So you would be against giving people a chance to work through a phobia and lead full, enriching lives?  Pretty harsh, bro.

 

[Varana]

Some random video game definitely is the wrong place to do that.

And to believe that just looking at spiders* long enough will surely improve your arachnophobia*, only proves the point: Leave that to people who know what they're doing.

 

* Fill in your applicable phobia here.

[Larkaloke]

Cheat consoles aren't something that is specifically put in for the players, but they something that I like to find and use in these games -- because with the way I prefer to play, say, Icewind Dale or Baldur's Gate, I have to use them to bring new party members up to more or less the level of the current party as when one character dies, they are dead, and then I make a new one. Trying to introduce a first level character into a party of tenth levels or so is not going to work except perhaps for a spot of dark humour.

 

Of course, that might not be needed in this game, if Adventurer's Hall recruits are always the base of your level or some such (I can't recall now if they've said whether this is the case or not). If it is needed, though, I will be hoping to figure out how to enable the cheats.

 

I myself don't use the cheats for anything else, but I certainly understand that people with strong phobias would want to zap spiders and such. My own phobia is luckily not severe enough that dogs scaled down that far bother me (although their barking and howling and all does creep me out a little), but I can understand. If that had been an option in Dragon Age, I'd probably've done it on replays, even though on the screen they just make me rather uncomfortable (and a bit jumpy late at night, sometimes). And no, looking at them doesn't help. I once spent several hours looking at pictures of dogs just on the off chance it would help, but all it did was give me nightmares.

[teknoman2]

i dont understand how can anyone dislike spiders... they are addorable little things that avoid contact with humans as much as spiderly possible. it would be nice if all insects had that mentality, especially flies and mosquitoes.

[Orogun01]

Cheating is my ultimate testing of a game's mechanics/experience.

If a game improves because of cheating then I consider it a bad game.

If a game doesn't change despite cheating then I consider it a bland game.

If my enjoyment of a game is ruined by cheating, the that I think of as a good game.
I'm hoping that PE will be a good game that won't require cheating.

[Mor]

I know that the exact level of mod support is currently still to be determined. However, what about a player-accessible console, or at the very least a couple of cheat codes? Can we get those with Unity?

 

There's two reasons why it's really needed..

I can sum it up with one, options

[Abel]

 

Depends on the severity of the phobia.  It isn't as simple as some people seem to think to just 'get over' it or to try and work through it.  Some might have the phobia, but can play a game.  Others have severe reactions to even the smallest spider, even if they might know that it couldn't do anything  to them.  I say give them a way to get past it.

 

So you would be against giving people a chance to work through a phobia and lead full, enriching lives?  Pretty harsh, bro.

 

 

*delete the gif in the quote*

 

Well, i'm not arachnophobic, but it's quite mean of you...

 

About console, i agree. I currently play BGate, which is heavily moded. And i have some weird bugs that make my game CTD in some conversations or scripted events. Without the console and things like "MoveToArea" i would not have been able to play. And i can't play the core game anymore. I believe PE may be modded in the future, so console commands is just a must.