The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent
vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums
here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules
document is now in effect.
Bitching Thread: Gaming Edition
Posts
I really don't know too many of this type. The closest I can think of is Kid from Chrono Cross (who literally throws herself into the party no matter how many times you say no).
Beyond that, I don't think there's enough of this type to make it a cliche.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
"beat the living crap out of the hero in "comedic" scenes" is the most annoying trait of those characters though. Doesn't matter how weak they are or that the main character logically shouldn't take shit like that from anyone, they'll still get away with it.
Watching Tifa knock Cloud out with a single smack in the Gold Saucer did make me want a couple more moments like that, though. Funny enough, the novels go on to indicate Cloud's utter fear of pissing her off.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
It irritates me greatly when this is just conveniently overlooked because designers couldn't be arsed to cook up another skin/mesh, like you said.
I'm also not a fan of minigames with no real benefit to the outcome other than "well done, have something to show you did it". FFIX, as much as I love it, was a great perpetrator of this with its skipping minigame early on. In my teenage years when rage ran high, I actually broke a mirror in frustration trying to clear that one time. Nowadays I know much better. Pokémon is even worse with this and it's one of the two overreaching goals of the game: Catch them all. I've caught them all once, on the original Blue. That was it. I got a shitty certificate and a pat on the back. Fool me once...
Well, there was Hammer in Fable 2, and . . . uh, hm.
Like, I'm doing a quest in Guild Wars, and I'm looking for someone. I find them, body sprawled over the ashy soil, and he's dead. I have to go back and tell them he's dead. But, wait, I'm standing here, with this thing called a resurrection signet that will bring someone back to life. I've used it a dozen times already. This guy doesn't have to be dead and his wife doesn't have to be unhappy.
Or I'm collecting family crests of fallen soldiers for their families. I'm going to the dead bodies to get them. i'm sure the monk with me could spare a bit of his regenerating mana to resurrect these poor soldiers so they can go back to their families?
I'm considering buying it, as I loved the first one...but with all the sites going apeshit over it the way a tween does for Twilight, I'm wondering if I should bother ponying up the $60 minimum for it. What say you?
XBL : lJesse Custerl | MWO: Jesse Custer | Best vid ever. | 2nd best vid ever.
There were people who were disappointed with Starcraft 1, and with Brood War. If you've played the beta you should have an idea of what's going on, and there are thousands of hours of video of the game all over youtube and every other video site.
If you're talking about the single player game, it's better than every other Blizzard RTS single player. The story is still meh, but it's way better than what you'll get in any other game of the genre, and many other genres as well, and the production values are top notch.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
stream
I'm someone who simply does not like Blizzard games. Particularly their RTS's. Warcraft was pretty bland and Starcraft was just the same, in space. I'm more of a Relic RTS gamer, I like smaller scale, more in depth tactics.
I bought Starcraft 2 on the information I had on the campaign, how every mission is different, varied objectives and stuff. I'm totally loving the campaign. The story telling is a definite step up for Blizzard, and the amount of care that's gone into the campaign rivals Relics games. I'd definitely recommend it on the campaign alone.
XBL : lJesse Custerl | MWO: Jesse Custer | Best vid ever. | 2nd best vid ever.
You won't be disappointed. They've definitely stepped up their game. It doesn't feel like a bunch of skirmishes linked by unrelated cutscenes anymore.
Here's a rather non-specific one, but I really, really hate it - unexpected and unwanted genre changes. One of the worst examples is the stupid, broken, scream-inducing platforming level (Tower of Babel) in Xenogears. Not only was it annoying to suddenly have a bunch of jumping challenges in a text-heavy RPG, but the engine was clearly not designed for it - you could get into random battles in midair, causing you to plummet all the way back down to the beginning because the game had to load the battle screen. The camera wasn't designed with that kind of action in mind, either - you could never get the right angle for your jumps - and the fact that the robots you were steering were constantly shown to be capable of flight in cutscenes added the final irritating touch.
There's really no reason to throw a switch puzzle in an FPS, or platforming in an RPG, or whatever. They don't really add anything to the game other than providing an obstacle to get through so you can get back to doing whatever it was you actually bought the game for, and usually just feel tacked-on and lame.
EDIT: To be fair, there are some games that pull these off, and when such diversions are done well they can add a lot to a game. The Zelda series, for example, has a lot of genre-blending - action, puzzles, some platforming, even some racing. Most games aren't Zelda, though, and for many developers this sort of switch is more likely to be a miss than a hit.
I too like it when this is utilized properly, and dislike it when it's ignored (tough there are certain exceptions--the Master Chief using the same armor through a whole Halo game makes sense, because it's a self-contained atmosphere and military equipment).
The Tomb Raider games handle this well, typically. In TR3, each different zone has different attire that works for it. Tomb Raider Underworld takes this even further, giving you multiple options in each environment. Uncharted 2 also does this, if I remember correctly.
Something else that I find annoying--Russians, which almost always means Russians invading the United States. As with Nazis and Nazi zombies at the height of the World War II game craze, it's a case of "It was entertaining, now it's boring." Ignoring the whole issue of "no basis in reality" it carries with it the same overused baggage of bad, unconvincing Russian accents, various stupid, uncreative stereotypes, lazy writing, the same generic enemy soldiers over and over, evil mustache twirling, etc. I know developers love making Russians bad guys, but there's no shortage of national identities who dislike us for any number of reasons. The Chinese, the Iranians, most of South America, much of the Middle East, etc. Move on to the next generic badguy already!
Some games do it well. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 comes to mind. But in Modern Warfare 2 and the like it's kind of overused to death. But that's just my feeling on it.
That, and helicopters being the generic "paper cannon" enemy. Uncharted 2 did it right, with a helicopter being a pain in the ass to destroy, and rightly so.
I've actually started appreciating this in these types of games. Uncharted 2 definitely does do it, as well as Uncharted 1 (once - you're in a wetsuit at the start, though after that it's 1 long game through 1 environment so it's not really needed). Another game that does it, which surprised me, was The Force Unleashed. Every mission gives you a different outfit. Some make sense (putting on extra clothes for protection on a world with a harsh environment) and some don't (going all tribal on Felucia just... cause).
Yeah, I wasn't expecting it in TFU, and it's a nice touch.
Not every game calls for it (again, see the Halo example, or something like Arma 2 which takes place in a single theater of combat).
Another game that did this well, shockingly enough, was Oni--besides the TCTF combat gear, Konoko basically changed her outfit for each level (though they were mostly retreads of tight jeans, tank tops, and leather jackets). They gave her a sweater for the cold level too.
And then you have games like Half-Life 2, which I guess it's excusable. You don't even have a fucking reflection in that game either.
Some games I actually enjoyed, which is one of the reasons I'm tired of it now. MW2, BC2, Freedom Fighters, Red Alert 2, Red Alert 3 (the expansions, naturally), EndWar, Arma 2, a few other titles. I was more addressing my boredom with the current trend of the Russians as the bad guy of the day (though it's actually on the decline--not sure who they're picking up next), since it felt like facing the same enemies over and over and over.
It'd be like if every military-themed video game decided to use religious space aliens as the enemy (except you'd probably still get more variation than "various persons from commiespace"). I'd much rather have games like Half-Life 2 mix it up.
Haven't heard about that Homefront game. Sounds like Freedom Fighters again, I guess. Fun.
XBL : lJesse Custerl | MWO: Jesse Custer | Best vid ever. | 2nd best vid ever.
The helicopter parts in Uncharted 2 were by far the most idiotic parts of that game. Apparently they were shooting nerf bullets and were piloted by Mr. Magoo. They didn't do them right at all, which leads into another annoyance. How the hell does a helicopter unloading thousands of rounds capable of punching holes in tanks, not hit a target on foot...once. Here's an idea, let's blow up our own train by shooting missiles nowhere near the target. Why? Because we haven't hit our explosion budget yet! There's the cliche'd stormtrooper aim, and then there's there's missing the side of a barn with a nuclear bomb. A random soldier with a shotgun was more terrifying than the helicopters. That's just plain stupid.
Actually, I'd agree with it being a stupid part of the game. For the following reasons:
1) The helicopter chasing the train shtick feels horribly overused. I'm fairly certain I've done the same thing in several games as soon as I stepped aboard a train as well.
2) The anti-tank helicopter is shooting rockets and armor-piercing shells at the train it's supposed to be protecting. It's inherently stupid.
The issue of it can't aim worth a shit doesn't really stand out, because apparently neither can the huge waves of Russian mercenaries you fight either (pretty abysmal AI overall). I actually meant the section where you fight the helicopter on the rooftops, but I agree with you on the train section. That being said, I didn't like Uncharted 2 as much as most people did (ended up selling it for $40 and cutting my losses). The point remains though that super-fragile helicopters kind of defeats the point of fighting them. Instead of sending 10 helicopters after me made apparently of canvas and paper mache, how about just one that's actually an armored helicopter?
Let's form babbies together
Stun lock + instant kill scenarios for me. It's one thing to totally cock myself up and die a fair death, but to somehow take control away from me for several seconds and then make me sit there and watch myself die in HD glory while there's nothing I can do is just a fucking dick move. I'm noticing this happening a lot in Mario Galaxy 2. Something will happen, control is taken away, Mario will start skidding around while I'm frantically trying to regain control and come riiiiiiight to the edge of a ledge, then a slight gust of wind will knock me off. It's god damn infuriating and there's no fucking excuse for it, especially in a platformer where control is the only thing you have.
I agree to this and just thought up a slasher flick where the killer was a hyper intelligent barbie and the heroine an intelligent pudgy chick (Raven Simone). But as an addendum, army games specifically and many others (Borderlands, Killzone, gears of war, max payne, GTA IV) that lack females as enemies or player charaters.
I know a kotaku podcast gave a reason and I can accept that but still, I like the idea of a XX refunding a ticket on Isle of Innocents and mowing down the assault and engineer who had their backs turned.
Another thing I would like to bitch about, Games that have a better version lurking just around the modders corner but instead they keep their code "locked" or what ever the term is, I'M LOOKING AT YOU FARCRY 2, aka Legend of Zelda with guns and no minigames. It would have kicked ass with only a handful of mods! Fallout 3, don't think you and your animations are getting away!
edit: Homefront is Red Dawn with North Koreans.
At least it's not in HD?
How about that final (final final) boss in the original Drakengard?
The entire game is a hack-n-slash up until that point, and then BAM you have some weird rhythm game that's hard as shit. And dont get me started on the final cut scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIYqEcS5asM
I just feel let down when there's never a reason to try.
There have been some sad sack action games in that department as well. I remember when Rogue Trooper came out I played through the entire game on hard just using the default pistol and the main gun only as a turret. It was so obvious when enemies were going to attack that all I had to do was set up the turret, trigger the attack, and then wait for everyone to die while I picked off stragglers. I beat the last boss with the pistol. It was pathetic, and killed any enjoyment I'd been getting out of it.
Another example would be the Atelier Iris games. The art is great, so I want to play them, but the gameplay is just so pointless. The whole thing is based around creating new items and gear, but the monsters are so easy that there's never any real need to do it. It's not like the story is so good I just want to get to the next cut scene, and the game is padded out with dungeons that go nowhere. Without challenging battles there's just no reason to play.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
stream
Man I don't even care.
It's like playing an RTS and then suddenly all your units are obliterated and you are unable to make new ones for a bit. Then you sit and watch as the enemy steamrolls into your base.
Or an RPG, and suddenly in the middle of a boss fight you bonk your head on a dangling lamp and you revert to level 1 for 20 seconds while the level 99 boss goes to town on your ass.
Or a FPS, and all your guns jam up right when a horde of enemies is unleashed and surrounds you.
None of those things would be acceptable, ever. Why is it still acceptable in this day and age to stunlock you in the middle of a delicate platforming section where instant death is a possibility? It doesn't make any fucking sense. Hamper my abilities, sure. Restrict my control, fine. Removing all control from me so that I die from something I wasn't even close to when I got stunned? Ridiculous.
Nintendohard, that's why.
The only RPG I can think of where you play as one character (an important qualifier, since if you have multiple characters their death is not necessarily a game over scenario) and a sleep effect could potentially equal a 1-hit kill is Demon's Souls, and what do you know there's stunlock/instant death in that game too.
If you're talking about Final Fantasy and the like, usually a sleeping character will get clubbed on the head for a little damage and they'll wake up. Or one of your other characters will give them a remedy.
Speaking of which, any game where getting hit will knock you backwards from whatever direction you currently face even if it breaks the laws of physics (fucking NINJA GAIDEN and OLD CASTLEVANIAS) making pits the deadliest enemies in the game can eat whatever their least preferred genitalia are.
EDIT: I probably shouldn't contribute to this thread a whole lot more or you guys are going to start thinking that bitching at games is all I do
Oh, definitely. I mainly see that as lazy programming though. They program it to knock you the opposite direction you are facing, without taking into account which direction you were hit from.
Anything where you've got items, collectibles, etc. you can miss and never find again, especially when they're hidden or otherwise concealed in ways that no player would ever actually think to do on even repeated playthroughs. Some games, especially RPGs, last upwards of fifty hours and there is no way I'm going through a second playthrough just to get some kind of trinket or see a hidden cutscene.
This one is even more mystifying these days, because honestly how many people buy strategy guides anymore? Give it two weeks and everything you could ever want to know is going to be on Gamefaqs for free.
If game companies are that wedded to the idea of trying to sell a book with a game, how about this: every guide-worthy release instead gets a developer's journal with cool stuff like concept art and notes from the designers and developer's diaries and other cool information a big fan might actually want to read or look at. Stuff they wanted to put in the game but couldn't, stuff that used to be in the game but got cut, what inspired them to make the game the way they did, everything like that. I might actually consider buying one of those for a few games I really really like, whereas I haven't bought an actual strategy guide for any game I can remember since sometime in the 90s.
Good old Diablo 2 knockback bug. The death of many a fine character. Especially nasty from Death Lords and Minions of Destruction. Good times.
You'd also want to stay away from dota and the like. Chain stuns are the way to go. It can be a pain, but it's fun to do.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
stream
Fuck FFIX in that regard. You dropped a twenty on the guide and then all you get are the overworld maps and a great big note that says "If you want to read anything actually fucking USEFUL, like boss strategies, contents of treasure chests, and hidden items, go to hahastupidgamerwegotyourmonies.com and enter this stupid goddamn code."
You pay the twenty bucks to get the magic words so you can go through PlayOnline and get bombarded with ads so Squenix can make even more monies off of you. All for information that can be found on GameFaqs or IGN for free- or you can simply keep at it until you beat it, like we used to do in the old days.
You youngsters don't know how good you have it. Back in my day, we got fifteen blocks of memory on our cards... *falls asleep*
I can has cheezburger, yes?
Fable 2 doesn't count because Molyneux is an idiot.
Anyway, all characters tend to have the same shapes and sizes because it saves on development time and processing requirements.
And my biggest gripe with games are the menus. Besides the game itself, this is the most encountered area of a game. Make that shit as effortless as possible to navigate because I don't want to have to spend more time looking at it than I have to.
This means no menus that 'restart' at some beginning point because I backed up to correct a mistake. I didn't like scrolling through all that garbage in the first place. It's probably what made be fuck up the first time.
Also, don't pop a menu on screen immediately if I have to wait a second to actually input something. Either make the response near instantaneous or draw the menu a little slower so that when it fully appears I can make my selection. I find I have more patience for waiting for access than having to constantly remind myself that it's not available yet.
Oh, and Japan? I get that in your culture the X on the DualShock means 'no' and Circle means 'yes'. Or whatever cultural baggage you've assigned to it. But in the rest of the world, we've come to associate the bottom button on the gamepad as a catch-all 'accept' and the right most button as 'back'. I'm not asking you to comply with the rest of the world, only to make that change when you port the motherfucker.
And SONY? Fuck you for not making it a requirement in localisation! It's bad enough to play that rare game that doesn't allow you to customise the camera axis controlls, but it's worse when it defaults to whatever the game player doesn't like. Being force to adjust for 'odd duck' games is a pain in my ass.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
There is the Persona series. In FFXIII, If Lightning dies, you are screwed.
In Super Mario galaxy, the point is to have some consequences for getting hit. Health might as well not exist unless you really suck. Lives are so common and checkpoints are frequent enough that it isn't much of a problem.
On the same topic, let me create multiple "profiles" / saved games under a single account. This is a big problem on many 360 games. Sometimes I want to start over WITHOUT destroying my previous game.
I haven't seen a game do that in quite a while, actually. But I could have just not played a game that does it in a while, too.
Well, on that, shout at Nintendo too, since their Classic Controller (and SNES) require you to use the A button for going forward in menus. The O is forward, X is back makes sense though, even if it's odd to use it that way now. I really don't know why Sony changed it on the PSX way back when.