WHAT ANNOYS YOU IN A GAME?

Posts

Erynden
Gamers don't die, they respawn.
1702
I thought this was what annoys ya, not whatcha hate? Bunch of hateful people here. O.o

- What annoys me in a game is where the maker tries so hard not to make a game cliche and turns it around into being cliche. CLICHE is everywhere, there is no escape. xD

- What annoys me in a game is where the maker has this AWESOME storyline and AWESOME system but the game itself is a fanbase game like FF WHatev! Only BoFs fan games are alright. =P

- No directions what so ever. No way to guide the player to the next point if there even is one. There should some sort of system that keeps track of where or what to do next.
I hate terrible gfx and mapping.
I'll have to copy the points from this thread and list them as "features" of Hero's Realm! It'll save me a bunch of time when it comes to advertising.
I hate grinding for levels and items that have a 0.04% chance of being dropped.

I also really really hate bad interfaces that make it take forever to do a simple thing like using a potion. As well as having to confirm things over and over again.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
author=GameOverGames Productions link=topic=2479.msg45466#msg45466 date=1227054794
I hate grinding for levels and items that have a 0.04% chance of being dropped.

What if you accidently sell the item because it's worth 1,000,000 (iirc) Gil and there is no indication that it's needed for an important sidequest?
author=Clest link=topic=2479.msg45380#msg45380 date=1227038535
Well, it is all a matter of execution, fake final dungeons were used in many RPGs before with sucess (FF6 did it A LOT of times... Magitek Facility, then Ester World gate, then Crescent Island then Floating Continent... The game essentially kept you always ready for a final confront once you get the fast travel means (airship).

Phantasy Star 4 does that a lot too and in very conving ways and that was always good when you saw a cutscene thinking it was the ending but then BAM new disaster, what he hell happened? let´s find out! Far better than "okay, the villain is there but we need to collet those things and find X weapon to defeat him."

As for the last dungeon being a surprise, I get what you mean, but again it comes with execution and ties in with your complaint about dungeons: It should be a very dense event dungeon with many things leading to a climax, just that unless you feel like going out for something else, you are already there and the last boss should be in a room near you, meaning that if you are already there, you are probably ready for the boss too.

You're right, the Floating Continent and the Zio fight weren't bad fake-Final Dungeons (although I'll argue the others if it wouldn't be a huge derail). I think one of the things that helped is that in both cases (well, not sure with PS4) is that the world has been explored by that point and there wasn't any other hanging plot threads. They do somewhat break up under close scrutiny (There sure were a lot of missing spells in FF6! How do I unlock those last Hunter missions in PS4?) but they serve their purpose well.


A bit more Hateorade:

- Cutscene paralysis! Seeing the big bad villian do evil stuff right in front of the party and having the party scratch their ass drives me nuts. Star Ocean 3 being the worst that I can recall. You beat up the a boss, then there's a cutscene where he goes "I'll destroy everything ha ha ha", pushing the main character away and starts pushing buttons causing the mass destruction while giving the JRPG Antagonist Soliloquy and the party might as well have their heads up their asses for what they were doing.
-Bad plots. I find the stories in RPGs to be some of the most enjoyable parts, and if the story disinterests me, I just stop playing.

-Long/Repetetive Dungeons Rogue Galaxy was notorious for doing this. The dungeons were way too long and didn't have that much variety in them. I found myself asking "Am I making any progress yet, 'cause everything looks the same" a lot.

-Unbalanced Characters It drives me nuts when no matter how high a level you reach, one character is still useless compared to the others (or vice versa). You gave me the choice of 8 characters, now make me actually want to have the others in the party!

-Trading Sidequests I'm not saying these are really bad, but it can get a little ridiculous sometimes. "Oh, thank you for the knife. Here take this letter." "Oh, thank you for the letter. Here take this box." It takes too long and sometimes the reward's not even worth it.

-Lack of Explanations I'm not asking for a bunch of tutorials, but don't just leave me in the dark about things, it irritates me. For example, Star Ocean 2 (one of my favorite games) had no real explanation about item creation. They just left you to figure it out. (Press triangle at the item screen? Why the **** didn't you tell me that?!)

And yes, cutscene paralysis is a little irritating.
author=GreatRedSpirit link=topic=2479.msg45491#msg45491 date=1227058993
You're right, the Floating Continent and the Zio fight weren't bad fake-Final Dungeons (although I'll argue the others if it wouldn't be a huge derail). I think one of the things that helped is that in both cases (well, not sure with PS4) is that the world has been explored by that point and there wasn't any other hanging plot threads. They do somewhat break up under close scrutiny (There sure were a lot of missing spells in FF6! How do I unlock those last Hunter missions in PS4?) but they serve their purpose well.

Well the idea here is not exactly to make the player believe faithfully that the fake final dungeon is the final dungeon (though the Magitek Facility and Crescent Island really got me, by the Floating Continent I was already lacking the belief :P) but the tension must be built equally for several points in the game. As a friend said in a Phantasy Star forum once "what is good in PSIV is the constant sense of urgency". Like "damn we must kill Zio to restore Nurvous, oops now we must restore Zelan too, not really, Kuran is the problem" and so on...
Guess I exagerated on the way I mentioned deceiving me into think each dungeon is last :P
It is more like what I said for regular battles: Rather than focusing so mucxh energy to make the last dungeon seem important, make it place (cities too) seem equally vital and important.


As for characters letting the villain do whatever, FF7 bad player character death scene is there as a classic example. I could see Cloud, retarded as he is, being stunned, but no fucking way Barret would just wait there in the back, he´d be firing bullets away madly ;)
harmonic
It's like toothpicks against a tank
4142
Oh man, i can't believe I didn't think of this before:

I HATE RM games that try to "say" something by shoving it in my face.

Example1: "My game is unique and different because the hero is actually a paraplegic buddhist manic depressive, so I'm so cool."

Example2: "LOL my game's magical elements are HEAT, CHILLY, SPARKLY, DIRT, MEAN and NICE. Because my game doesn't take itself seriously like ALL YOU STUPID NERDS' GAMES. Stop trying to make good games, we're just amateurs!"

Example3: "MY GAME IS CALLED JESUS VERSUS EARTH AND YOU KILL JESUS, MOSES, AND GOD BECAUSE CHRISTIANITY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL JUST LIKE IN REAL LIFE LALW"

Example4: "My game starts in a run down, dystopic urban jungle, where the only happiness is the thrill of killing others and doing narcotic drugs, because it's a window to my soul, which is an expansive void of darkness




Basically "look I'm so cool because I made this and all you sniveling noobs would drown on your own cliche and mediocrity without me."
In all seriousness that's the best post yet.
author=Feldschlacht IV link=topic=2479.msg45577#msg45577 date=1227066474
In all seriousness that's the best post yet.

Seconded.

That's why I'm trying to change my game... *needs to work on game, but is lazy* I want it to be more unique than it is.

I will admit that I did create a game where the story was about me, but not me as a character, but it was a depiction of what was going through my mind when I sat down to make the game itself. The characters were different sides of my own personality... and I'm glad I never published the damn thing. It died with the great Ran's Compy Crash of 2001, along with the only game I ever finished completely called "Luna and Sol" which my brother actually liked.
It's annoying when, at the beginning of a game, you have so little money that you can barely go to an inn or get one potion, but by the end of the game you find useless items everywhere and make a fortune when you don't need to spend a copper. I always feel like this is a waste of money and there should be a way to re-invest it or to earn money accordingly...

Also, random encounters that are everywhere. I like to choose when I feel like I want to level up I can and when I have to go from A to B fast I don't have to spend X time carving my way through somewhat worthless enemies to bring item R to Mister L for sidequest T.

I do like sidequests a lot though. I think that sidequests and a dynamic environnemnt make for a fun game.

Mmmmh... another thing now, somebody mentionned it before I think... I find way more enjoyable when items are not generic (sword/shield/helmet/potion/phoenix down/antidote/boss key). Come on! With all the creativity put into a game, one can think of new names or new items. The same goes with states. I don't mind the classic ones (poison stays a classic, in every game), but it's nice to have new ones too. Anobody remembers the mushroomized state in Earthbound? Man, they sure added to the difficulty level!
harmonic
It's like toothpicks against a tank
4142
Eh, not a big fan of merely renaming stuff. (as mentioned in my above post, renaming "Dark" and "Holy" elements MEAN and NICE.)

I think if you want to assign your own name to stuff, that's fine, but it shouldn't be because you want to show that "LOOK I DONT HAVE POTIONS, PHOENIX DOWNS, AND EXCALIBURS IN MY GAME THEREFORE IM SO COOL. Instead of I restorative quaffs, flamingo feathers, and Envelope opener swords that do the exact same thing."

I think a dramatic mechanical difference is required before renaming stuff. There is an unwritten RPG language that helps people identify what stuff does. Potions heal. Tents do what tents do. Etc.
Max McGee
with sorrow down past the fence
9159
Really, really disagree with harmonic. I think that making sure your items are not named after the items in Final Fantasy is sort of a prerequisite for your game not being retarded. In other words, I agree with Saedom.
author=harmonic link=topic=2479.msg47631#msg47631 date=1227893710
Eh, not a big fan of merely renaming stuff. (as mentioned in my above post, renaming "Dark" and "Holy" elements MEAN and NICE.)

I think if you want to assign your own name to stuff, that's fine, but it shouldn't be because you want to show that "LOOK I DONT HAVE POTIONS, PHOENIX DOWNS, AND EXCALIBURS IN MY GAME THEREFORE IM SO COOL. Instead of I restorative quaffs, flamingo feathers, and Envelope opener swords that do the exact same thing."

I think a dramatic mechanical difference is required before renaming stuff. There is an unwritten RPG language that helps people identify what stuff does. Potions heal. Tents do what tents do. Etc.
Huh? I'd rather have creatively-named items with generic functions than items taken right out of Final Fantasy.
LouisCyphre
can't make a bad game if you don't finish any games
4523
author=TooManyToasters link=topic=2479.msg47683#msg47683 date=1227913722
Huh? I'd rather have creatively-named items with generic functions than items taken right out of Final Fantasy.
author=Max McGee link=topic=2479.msg47660#msg47660 date=1227903361
I think that making sure your items are not named after the items in Final Fantasy is sort of a prerequisite for your game not being retarded.
No one likes FF anymore it seems...

Which leads to want I dislike:
I DESPISE it when people deliberately change stuff in their game that ruins the experience just for the sake of being "different" and "original". Originality is incredibly important, but gameplay is PARAMOUNT. Nothing should ever encroach on gameplay and fun.
Actually, parallel to what Chaos said:

I hate and I DAMN HATE! When ppl try to innovate with systems that doesn´t connect to the other aspects of the game (plot, settings etc). Like Materia and Guardian Force system which assume that characters are completely stupid without materias or gf´s equipped. (What kind of thief requires a materia to steal? seriously) There is so much to be improved in making gameplay fun AND consistent with other elements, but instead of thinking on sollutions for those important issues, ppl just prefer to ramdomly create new elements which cause more problem (hello Element system in Chrono Cross).

As for namming: I think names should match the concept of what they name, for the sake of coherence which is an underrated CORE factor in rpgs (I don´t bother with it in fighting or action games). If you have liquid made by a wizard inside his cave in a fantasy setting... potion is just fine. But if your game is set in our world and you have industries producing strong healing medicine through chemical work, then maybe medicine, remedy or something like that might fit better. Ppl shopuls stop thinking on what is original or what will be as cool as final fantasy and define things for what they would be called in the game setting.
author=ChaosProductions link=topic=2479.msg45149#msg45149 date=1226978400
I really hate it when I recognize resources. It just cheapens the experience for me, sorry.

Cheapens the experience of a free game?