Toxicfluff on 27/5/2009 at 00:13
That was what I hoped I'd implied in my post -- it suits me, but it's not a prescriptive preference because I can see what an arseache it is for everyone else.
Bjossi on 27/5/2009 at 00:17
The choice element could be taken one step further; at the start of a new game the player could have a choice whether to use manual (both quick keys and a menu option) or checkpoint-based, or both. :cool:
Taffer36 on 27/5/2009 at 02:11
Quote Posted by fett
For those of us with an actual life, there are also situations where you have to leave to go somewhere or do something and are not convienently sitting near a checkpoint, despite having invested the last 45 minutes to get to your current position. Splinter Cell is the best I've played for breaking those up because they autosave immediately after you've completed a scene or set of rooms. Of course it also kills the suspense because it falls into a pattern of bad guys>confrontation/sneak>save, rinse repeat.
That's just poor checkpoint placement, then. Checkpoints should be placed every 10 minutes, maybe even every 4-5 in a trial and error game, but there should NEVER be an instance where you lost 45 minutes of work. And if checkpoints are automatically placed every 5-10 minutes, then 1) you don't have to worry about the fucking saving and you can stay immersed, and 2) the game controls the saves so you can't abuse it. Call of Duty and Halo tend to have pretty rock solid checkpoint placement, save for a few poor ones here and there.
If you give me that quicksave I WILL spam it. If they give you the option then it doesn't make sense not to, right? But if checkpoints are built into the game itself, then it becomes something else entirely, almost like a challenge and a part of the game's overall pacing.
Purely open-world games like Fallout 3 are another story, of course. I suppose they could do the saves every loading screen (which I think the game autosaves at as it is), but those are too far apart to work alone, so in a situation like that I can understand the necessity of quicksaves (yeah I misspoke :(). But even games like GTA4 worked relatively well with checkpoints, although GTA4's save system was shit simply because they didn't put checkpoints after every cutscene, which would have worked flawlessly.
Quote Posted by Enchantermon
Personally, though I would advise against abusing saves in this way, I think people should be free to have the choice, especially if removing this choice inconveniences the rest of us who will use the saving ability properly. You want to ruin your enjoyment of the game? Go ahead. I'm hungry and want to go eat something
now as opposed to having to play another half an hour just so I can save my progress.
Half an hour? Poooooooooooor checkpoint placement.
ZylonBane on 27/5/2009 at 02:18
Quote Posted by Taffer36
If you give me that quicksave I WILL spam it.
That's your brain damage, not ours. Deal with it.
Taffer36 on 27/5/2009 at 02:30
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
That's your brain damage, not ours. Deal with it.
If checkpoints are placed every 5-10 minutes, what purpose do quicksaves serve?
Do you want to save MORE OFTEN than every 5-10 minutes?
That, sir, is a certain degree of spamming.
Actually, re-reading my posts, I never said I have a problem with Save & Quit, only the concept of quicksaves, whose purpose is to allow you to save on the fly while you continue to play.
SubJeff on 27/5/2009 at 02:33
Savepoints are just wrong in most games. There are some that warrant them but for the most part :eww:
Andarthiel on 27/5/2009 at 02:41
Hehe, the opening post was hilarious.
As for save points, I absolutely hate checkpoints and savepoints(like those crap GTA 1 and 2 savepoints) they completely ruin the game for me. All games should just use Thief style "save anywhere-any time" saves. It just prevents frustration and you can skip cutscenes and save before boss fights etc.
There's nothing I hate more than dying and having to replay all the way up to that point because of some stupid checkpoint system.
lost_soul on 27/5/2009 at 03:02
I used to be big into console games, but the prices of the systems have gone through the roof (not including the wii). This wouldn't be an issue if I were getting more for my money when purchasing a console, but the opposite is true. In 99% of cases, you cannot change one single aspect about the game. You cannot create your own levels, modify the gameplay, improve the graphics, or benefit from improvements that others have made over the years.
It pretty much goes without saying that PC games give you all of these abilities (and in some cases even more). There are hundreds, or even thousands of maps for Doom/Quake or Thief to play.
Another reason to avoid consoles is online gaming. When your favorite game's publisher decides to shut off the multiplayer servers for the console game, you are out of luck. On a PC, you can connect to your friend's IP or find servers listed online to play on. (yes, I still play games that came out ten years ago like Team Fortress Classic.)
Why are PCs getting cheaper and consoles getting more expensive each generation?
lost_soul on 27/5/2009 at 03:07
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
LEGO Batman is a current-gen game being pushed through a nearly decade-old piece of hardware. Of course it's not going to look good. :rolleyes:
Incidentally, do you have your PS2 hooked up to an HDTV?
That reminds me of the Dreamcast port of Unreal Tournament. The blurry textures made me want to vomit after seeing the PC version with max detail.
Enchantermon on 27/5/2009 at 03:20
Quote Posted by Taffer36
That's just poor checkpoint placement, then. Checkpoints should be placed every 10 minutes, maybe even every 4-5 in a trial and error game, but there should NEVER be an instance where you lost 45 minutes of work.
How exactly is that different from quicksaving in that same span of time?
Quote Posted by Taffer36
If you give me that quicksave I WILL spam it. If they give you the option then it doesn't make sense not to, right?
No, it makes
perfect sense not to, because if you abuse it, you're destroying the feel of the game. It's this little thing called self-control that many people seem to have thrown to the wayside in favor of a society that panders to their every whim and does everything for them so they don't have to think for themselves.[/rant]
Quote Posted by Taffer36
If checkpoints are placed every 5-10 minutes, what purpose do quicksaves serve?
If you're allowed to quicksave, what purpose do checkpoints serve?
Quote Posted by Taffer36
Do you want to save MORE OFTEN than every 5-10 minutes?
I want to save whenever I darn well feel like it. :p
