Your Policy on Walkthroughs

[SomethingBig]

All the gamers I know have different rules on walkthroughs. I have one friend who takes it to the extreme and outright refuses to even glance at a walkthrough while playing a game. My other friend will look at a walkthrough, if he's having a lot of trouble with a certain part of the game. I have yet another friend who will play through a game using a walkthrough, so as to not miss any secrets.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I usually never need to use a walkthrough. The toughest challenges are the most fun when you find your own way of overcoming it. However, sometimes, I think it's unavoidable. In Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, there are invisible items hidden on specific squares on the map and it's impossible to know where they are without a guide. So for that, I'll use a walkthrough, but I never, ever, read the strategies in the walkthrough. Path of Radiance could be beaten in about 10 hours, but it took me around 20 because I had to repeat a couple levels at least 10 times.

For RPGs, I'll read a walkthrough after completing a dungeon to see if I missed anything. Not that it matters, because if I did, I don't return to get it, anyway. I won't look at walkthroughs even for optional bosses, though.

So how often do you use, if at all, walkthroughs?

[Shoeberto]

Usually if I'm just absolutely stuck, which means doing something for like an hour and not making a single bit of progress, then yeah, I'll go for a strategy guide. For RPGs though it's usually just looking up strategies for bosses if I'm having trouble with them.

[Jiro]

I read them for fun sometimes. It's good to know what I've missed. I only use them if I'm stuck though, except on rare occasions where there is collectables that I might miss.

Damn seeds in Lost Odyssey.

[Bunny]

Before I enter a dungeon, I will look at a walkthrough and take note of the amount of treasures obtained within. If the dungeon has multiple floors, I look at each floor individually to make sure I have the proper count. I rarely use walkthroughs as a step-by-step guide on how to beat a game or a specific boss with a few exceptions. If the boss is incredibly difficult and I cannot think of a way to beat him, I'll look over a quick strategy or two to see what works and what doesn't. Likewise, if I'm fighting a boss and they hit ridiculously hard or harder than I think they should, I'll look to see if it is one of those encounters that you're supposed to lose.

I use walkthroughs on any game developed by tri-Ace. smurf those guys. smurf them in their god damn asses with a railroad spike.

[Loony BoB]

Usually if I'm just absolutely stuck, which means doing something for like an hour and not making a single bit of progress, then yeah, I'll go for a strategy guide. For RPGs though it's usually just looking up strategies for bosses if I'm having trouble with them.

That's pretty much how I am with them, too. Although if I replay a game then I look at the walkthrough as often as I can be bothered, mostly to see if I can find things I missed the first time I played.

[Dreddz]

I never look at any kind of walkthrough unless I am stuck and am starting to get bored with the game. Considering the ease with completing games these days, that hardly ever happens.

[trancekuja]

When I play the game for the first time, walkthroughs are off limits. I use walkthroughs when replaying a game to obtain everything I couldn't find or do on my own.

[Markus. D]

Only in a very open world game and I become lost, exhausting all first to mind processes.

Nothing else, at all.

[NeoCracker]

Typically I would only use it for things to freakishly annoying to find otherwise.

Dragoons Star dusts, DQ's Medals, and various things like that. Also for Legaia's Art moves. I have a failproof method for learning them anyway, all the guide does is cut down the countless hours of punching in every possible button combo.

[Agent Proto]

Walkthroughs are fun to read if you don't ever plan to play the game. It's like spoiling yourself without enjoying the game. :-* Other than that, I use them when I'm stuck on something or need help locating hidden items.

[Raistlin]

I use them on an as-needed basis, and "need" is defined by if I'm either completely stuck or afraid I am going to miss something very important otherwise.

[Madame Adequate]

I use them on an as-needed basis, and "need" is defined by if I'm either completely stuck or afraid I am going to miss something very important otherwise.

Same here.

[LunarWeaver]

I use it if I'm stuck or if something is so annoying it's more fun to just know than figure it out. You know, that stupid they make you collect or the sidequests you'll never actually find otherwise. Or I did. Personally, I don't think the collect stuff is fun. These days I skip over it entirely for the most part no matter how good the reward is.

And then you have the really dumb stuff you'll never get by yourself like the Zodiac Spear, for smurf's sake.

[Necronopticous]

I avoid walkthroughs/hints/spoilers the first time through any RPG, and follow them very closely on successive playthroughs in order to collect and experience everything.

[Crimson]

I use them and seriously dont care, I play my games to enjoy them not get frustrated especially if I miss something good/important or forget a certain strategy.



Codes on the otherhand, that's a different story, I personally have zero tolerance for code users.