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CORFAISUS'S PROFILE

Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
"Winning" internet arguments via dismissive hyperbolic falsehoods and selective ignorance.

Unallocated Skill Points

"Take this beautiful moment and make a joke out of it. If you can't, you're a slave to it."

"The imperfections show the face."
Tales from Zilmurik
Epic of Damnation and Redemption

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In favor of level requirements on gear

That you need a particular weapon in order to succeed at anything in the game just seems really dumb. They did that in Morrowind with the Keening and the Sunder and I hated it. I have the Hopesfire which does insane damage, so why should I bust out a crummy hammer just to smash Dagoth Ur's heart? Seriously...

In favor of level requirements on gear

author=LockeZ
author=Corfaisus
You shouldn't twist their arm by deciding what's "fun" for them.
If you aren't any better at determining what's fun than a typical player, you shouldn't be designing games.
Can we just cut to the basics and admit that RPGs aren't inherently "fun"? What can we determine about RPGs that make them "fun"? How can we decide for others what they should care about aside from filling a role in a game? I'm sorry, but if you try to decide what I should think is fun and I don't think it's fun, you shouldn't be designing games for me. Sometimes what's fun is what the game doesn't have over what it does.

Ever played a platformer with too many enemies that stalk you while you're trying to platform? Not fun. Ever played an RPG where you're denied entry until you're so strong? Not fun. Hell, ever played a "collect-a-thon" game where you played the game yet didn't play it enough in order to explore new levels once the old ones have gotten stale? Not fun.

"Look at this shit I made" does not a good game make. Pay attention in the near future as I crank out a review that nearly died on this one credential alone.

You're usually the smart one here, but I feel you seriously dropped the ball on this one. It's like an overflow glitch of brilliance.

EDIT: Want to know another good reason why "level requirements on items" is a terrible idea? It prioritizes these specific items over everything else that you find until you reach that magic number that allows you to finally use it. You've already got the item but you have to put it away while you sink points into being able to equip that one specific thing. What if a new item comes along that needs one or two points yet isn't anywhere near as great as your super cool item you know you're working towards? Do you just sell this crap item because someday you'll be good enough for the ultimate item? Do you really want to introduce dead content just because something better is coming down the pipes later?

It's kind of hard to be excited about the tiny victories when you've already seen the goal line. Good, just not good enough, sonny.

I'd be mortified to create dead content, knowing I've wasted my time... but at the same time, I can't make every player think that this thing that I sank my time into is a good thing worth their time. If I force them into this thing that they don't like, I've failed them as a game designer. Let them play the way they want, and if they really want more, they'll find/return to that stuff later.

In favor of level requirements on gear

What's the mechanical difference between level requirements on items and price tags on items? You don't have enough experience/money for this item - go get more.

Level requirements on stuff drives me insane because there's typically also a skill tree and point allocation that twists my arm into sinking valuable points into something just to get me to a piece of equipment faster because it's slightly better than what I already have. It's not exciting, it's limiting. Why sink a point into getting a new ability (or strengthening one I already have) when I could just take a -1 armor requirement boost instead? Why play the game when I can just work my ass off in order to access content I already have sitting in my lap? So yes, it is manipulation. That's why we bring it up: not because we're old and unwilling to change* but because it's a legitimately bad idea. Don't make it harder to play the game by throwing in such transparent and deliberate road blocks.

You have to guide players to the fun content by making it also be the rewarding content.

No. No, no, no, no, NO. You should guide players to the relevant content. You shouldn't twist their arm by deciding what's "fun" for them. I had this problem recently when a game felt like implementing mandatory optional content. Is it rewarding? Who cares? I don't want to do it, I just want to go on this quest because the quest is relevant. By forcing me ("guiding") into the "fun" content, the opposite result occurred and I actually felt like giving up right then and there.

Let me find/entertain the fun content on my own watch. Don't grab me by the collar and say "we're going on a date NOW!"

Generally, you don't want grinding to feel rewarding. Because it's not fun.

The bottom line is just to minimalize grinding. You're displacing the value of the game by telling the player that they have to pass GO again before they can buy another property, regardless of how often they invest or how much wealth they've accumulated. It's my choice, let me make it. If I want to better understand something, I'll do it again. If I got it the first time, I should have my intelligence respected.

* Heck, it's not even some New Age ideology to throw road blocks at the player once they see something they want. Remember the original Legend of Zelda? Remember the first time you explored the world, came across the cave with the White Sword in it and couldn't pick it up? It wasn't a matter of "I have to earn this through gaining hearts", it was more like "the game must be broken because I've always been able to pick stuff up as long as there wasn't a number next to it".

When you can't pick up and immediately use the White Sword, the game is telling you that - even though you found exciting treasure - you haven't earned it. In a world where anything that isn't bolted down is yours for the taking, one stupid voice says "No" until you have 7+ hearts. Don't make me grind for the treasure I found; just let me play the game!

Gaming Advice With Professor Know-It-All: B-But I Can’t Compete With That

author=robb0226
author=Corfaisus
This is a tired excuse. Literally no one is "blessed" with artistic ability. It's a finely-honed skill.
I respectfully disagree. I think some people have more innate artistic ability than others, although it can be improved through diligent practice. That's like saying no one is blessed with the ability to play basketball; some are naturally better than others but it is also a finely-honed skill.


How so? Do you mean short people? I'm sure there are plenty who do and are very good at it.

If you've got shaky hands, that doesn't mean you can't be a good artist. There's no excuse for not willing to put in the time.

Gaming Advice With Professor Know-It-All: B-But I Can’t Compete With That



I started drawing YEARS ago back in 1991. i've been drawing for 24 years! i wasn't perfect from the start! none of us are! NEVER GIVE UP AND BELIEVE IN YOUR POWER!

STAY EXPIRED!




Eh-hm! ....inspired
Art by GillPanda ©2015

author=robb0226
I wish I had that artistic ability, but not everyone is blessed with that gift.

This is a tired excuse. Literally no one is "blessed" with artistic ability. It's a finely-honed skill.

Please, Stop Writing Happy Endings

author=PentagonBuddy
This still happens, for the record. One of those shitty ideas Disney often promotes to kids? Consistently coding their villainous characters as if they are LGBTQIA+. (Honestly for me as a kid it also just made me identify more with villain characters. that's another thing you can talk for ages about)


What Disney villains are we talking about here?

Please, Stop Writing Happy Endings

The fact that so many people get caught up on the ending being the reason to play a game really makes me sad. With that kind of mentality, why not just not play games? If you're just waiting for it to be over, why bother?

"But I want to feel good about my shit-tastic life via video games." It's not my responsibility to coddle you; it's my responsibility to engage you.

If you're too afraid to die, you're too afraid to live.

Think Before You Remake

After remaking Mystic Dawn, I think I've doomed myself to try and remake all of my other old games. I've had the new-and-improved-totally-what-the-game-could-have-been-from-the-get-go Lingering Forsaken on the back-burner since forever, and each year around Halloween I think "this will be the year".

I know I could run circles around what the game is now and really "make a name for myself" in the RM horror scene, but goddammit if I don't have a hard time diving into remaking a game that's been dead and buried since 2009.

Then again, I need to get some use out of XP so that I didn't just buy it for the RTP.

Opinion: Stop Rating Demos, It's Unfair...To Completed Games

But what about cancelled games?

Don’t Throw Away That 2k3 Just Yet

author=kory_toombs
author=Corfaisus
No matter how I fiddle around in RMVX Ace, I'll never be able to make anything even remotely half as good looking as I can in Rm2k3.
I'm pretty sure you could:

1) Use Gimp to modify the tiles to Ace's specifications. Then tile map in Ace. Though if the tiles are different sizes this could cause issues.

or

2) Map in RPG Maker 2003, take screenshots, import to Gimp and use parallax mapping in Ace. More work than the first option, but should actually work.



Neither of which would solve my need for dynamic multiple layers.
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