Gameplay devices that need to stop now

[Roto13]

What little things in games do you wish would just blow up and die? Give reasons.

For me, the biggest one is random battles in RPGs. Good god, why are these fun? They're annoying when you don't want to get into a battle because you're low on HP or all of the enemies in the area are from 10 gameplay hours behind you and you have nothing to gain from it. They're absolutely awful when you're looking for a save point because you have something to take care of in the real world. They don't add anything to the game. They just interrupt the flow of the game and force you into what is often a big waste of time.

[Captain Maxx Power]

That's all very well and good but if you take out random battles what are you left with? A DVD film where you walk about a bit. There's better ways of doing it (abilities to remove encounters, auto-win against weaker enemies etc.), but it's still a fundamental part of most RPG's.

Personally I want to see an end to any kind of rating systems. It pisses me off that you need to be utterly flawless at a game from start to finish with only one save in order to get to the top in order to see all of the content in a game. If you really want to feel that uber then set yourself the challenge, not have it be an integral part of the game.

[blim]

i like random battles, plus it would be too easy otherwise

[CimminyCricket]

It depends on the game that I'm playing for me to not want random battles.

[Roto13]

The encounter systems in games like Tales of (x) and Chrono Trigger/Cross are infinitely superior to walk-stop-fight-walk-stop-fight.

[CimminyCricket]

Fine, you win, I shall follow you wherever you go, so long as you walk around the enemies, Frontsmack.

[Shoeberto]

The encounter systems in games like Tales of (x) and Chrono Trigger/Cross are infinitely superior to walk-stop-fight-walk-stop-fight.

Agreed.

[Germ Hamee]

I'm 100% with Roto on random battles. Since games like Chrono, Xenosaga, and Baten Kaitos made avoidable battles the standard, I just can't be bothered to play through a game that still sports the random ones. I remember nearly assaulting the wall with my Playstation at some point in FFIX because I couldn't make it two steps without being interrupted. It really detracts from the experience for me.

[LunarWeaver]

Random encounters needed to die before they even started.

I hate how they make you sift through tons of stuff, too. Barrels and cabinets and bookcases and yadda. It's so dumb I have to do that every time I go to a new town. Give me a little extra gold from battles so I can buy the herb rather than steal it from some house.

The whole "aimlessly wondering trying to figure out where to go" thing still happens in some games. They have some obscure key item or path hidden behind 10 crates and way out of your static camera angle. I don't get why they'd do that

[Momiji]

I think they should do away with ultimate weapons in RPGs. Once you get them, there's no challenge to the game, because (FFX for example) once you get 'Break Damage Limit' you're pretty much unstoppable. Random battles can die too.

[ljkkjlcm9]

I don't mind random battles... but it should be a point where if you're a certain number of levels over the enemy, you won't encounter the random battles. Then there are a number of games, like FFVI, where they have the moogle charm and charm bangle, which are always nice to have.

But seriously, it should get to the point that it's like, alright I'm level 80, and the enemy is level 20... how about no random encounter? Granted this wouldn't work in FFVIII, but I remember some game I was playing where you would get a "random encounter" but it would cancel and you'd automatically get the exp/items if you were so strong statistically or something.

On top of that, I can't really think of anything. I don't mind ultimate weapons and the like, because typically they're harder to get than actually beating the final boss. So it's more of like a reward saying, hey I got this.

Personally I want to see an end to any kind of rating systems. It pisses me off that you need to be utterly flawless at a game from start to finish with only one save in order to get to the top in order to see all of the content in a game. If you really want to feel that uber then set yourself the challenge, not have it be an integral part of the game.

and I agree with this statement... most notably in megaman games, and more notably in Megaman Zero was it really a pain. I'd have to beat the level with a certain grade to get the enemies weapon? AND to do that, I need to basically not get hit, when my main weapon is a saber? Who're they kidding.

THE JACKEL

[Sephex]

Random battles don't bother me. I also have no problem with on screen enemies.

What needs to be stopped in video games are pointless fetch quests.

[Vyk]

These are mostly just jRPG problems... I wasn't a horribly big fan of Chrono Trigger's fighting system either. The Japanese seem to have a hard time making battles fast and fun. So no matter what type of encounter system you have, battles that aren't bosses are usually a chore to me. I really seem to have enjoyed encounter systems that were combo based. I don't remember hating battles in Xenogears at all. And if anyone ever played Legend of Legaia. Its battle system was like Xenogears on steroids. Actually made random encounters fun

After getting out of most jRPGs I sorta quit worrying about that. I know the KOTOR games were kinda like Chrono Trigger. Except again... it was fun to me. Not a chore

So I guess I'd say they need to rethink encounter systems all together. I don't care if you can see enemies on screen or not. But if you can't. There should maybe be something done about tweaking frequency of encounter rate

As for a personal gripe... well, as far as jRPGs I guess that really is the biggest issue. Last time I really tried to play a jRPG was Tales of Symphonia, and because I could see chores/encounters on screen, I could also avoid them. And thus was not grinded to appropriate levels making the game impossibly difficult because I tried to avoid being punished. Haven't touched a jRPG since. Missing out on things like Dragon Quest 8 and such

Just downloaded demos on my xbox for Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata to see if things have maybe changed in Japan. But sadly they have not...

One thing I'm not particularly fond of as a trend in gaming is first person view. Which I think needs to be optional. It seems very constrained. Its not natural. There's no accounting for peripheral vision. You're basically playing a game with blinders, kinda looking through a square window in front of you. It hardly makes it seem more realistic to me. Rather it just annoys me. Games like Oblivion and Gears of War where it was optional, or they tried something new in third person were a major win with me. First person is only for sniping and close inspection as far as I'm concerned :] It hasn't been much fun since DOOM

[Realm25]

Taking away random battles is taking away tradition. I wont play an RPG unless it feels classic, and oldschool. Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 are the only games that can get away with it. FF12 completely ruined the FF name, it was a complete shame to all RPG's, past and present, simply because it tried to be something it wasn't. I praise the random battles, and any other oldschool RPG elements, because without them all we're left with is utter trash.

[LunarWeaver]

If you are on game XII in your series and doing the same exact thing, then something is very wrong with that picture.