Games that don't allow pausing

[kerbonklin]

Usually in RPG games that are action-based (like ABS systems), there's no pausing, and things still happen while in your menus. It's usually meant for immersion  purposes, and to make it more action-y. They usually also provide safe-spots throughout the levels, or enemies that don't re-spawn to act as possible pauses. (similar to most MMORPGs where time always flows)

However in non-ABS systems that use time-based battle mechanics (ATB or other means of time), most of them allow pausing, while little do not. (Which I find strange because the game is putting me against the clock, but I can just pause and think of choices freely if I wanted)

• What is your take on these types of games? (Both action and timed-turn-based and their choices of allowing pausing or not)
• Are you the type of player who prefers the ability to pause (or AFK) at most times? (Especially when in battles) Or do you prefer the immersion value from being unable to pause? (while playing the above mentioned two systems)

 

[cabfe]

I'm a fan of turn-based against real-time combat, so I'm a little biased.

I find it unfair to have time continue to flow while going in the menu to set my next action. It makes me spam the default Attack so I won't get hurt too much just because I'm evaluating which special strike would be best.

So, pause for me. As much as possible!

 

[Alexander Amnell]

   I dislike games that don't allow pausing personally. I tend to have to stop temporarily in the middle of playing sometimes well before I can find a save point, which is fine as long as I can pause the game, go do what I need and then come back to it later. If I come back to find that I got killed while I thought I was safe in the menu then I become unlikely to pick up that game again anytime soon unless it was a really good game. If it's online then obviously you can't pause, if your at some sort of time trial then sure disable it temporarily but other than that I think games should have some option to be paused.

 

[Insidious Mental Pollution]

This is actually something that turned me off from playing MMORPGs.  I play games to unwind and have fun, not to emulate reality.  Too often I found myself in situations where I absolutely needed to step away from the game, and who would have guessed, real life takes precedence over gaming (not by much, but you know).  At least in online games it makes sense that you can't pause though; if a single player game doesn't allow it, well, it's simply not worth playing.  

 

[Kes]

I simply wouldn't play a game which did not allow for a pause.

 

[Dalph]

What the hell? NONO, this sounds silly and boring.

Who wants to reach everytime a safe zone for a pause?

And I don't want to restart a quest or a whole dungeon if I'm too lazy to reach that damn zone (or if I can't find it).

I mean...come on...pauses are a must.

 

[Dandydan]

However in non-ABS systems that use time-based battle mechanics (ATB or other means of time), most of them allow pausing, while little do not. (Which I find strange because the game is putting me against the clock, but I can just pause and think of choices freely if I wanted)

This is your mistake. A turn-based system is not "putting me against the clock". It is true that time still flows but with TB one isn't pitted against the clock but against complexity.  That's the difference. Immersion is a side effect of complexity.  A real time system is limited by the amount of complexity that can be offered to the player for the simple reason that there is a limited amount of complexity that most players can handle. That is why RTS feature much more simple battle mechanics. This is true even for MMOs like WoW. WoW is designed so that ordinary encounters can be defeated with only three different mechanics (button presses) by each class. Raids are a different story but most people who play WoW do not raid--less than 20% of their player base raids on a weekly basis and more than 50% have never even been in a raid (pre-raid finder, I do not know what it is today). Yes, very very elite players can handle both action and complexity but the market for that is miniscule.

The fundamental game design trade-off is between action and complexity. The more complex the battle system the less real time action there can be. If the designer asks too much of their players the players normally quit.

 

[orochii]

You can count "action" as a kind of gameplay complexity. Sometimes it gets way more complex than "regular complexity". "Action" normally involves free movement, free timing and a set of actions you can use in any sequence you like. So yeah, if you make something like Karate Champ where EVERY 2-key combination makes a different move, your game gets too complex to be executed in real-time.

I don't have a real preference, but pausing it's something you use. If your game lasts 5mins, sure, you don't need to pause. But a game that spans over hours, well, possibilities of Not having an emergent important issue is close to nil.

Also, the keyboard has a pretty Pause key. Y U no use it?

 

[kerbonklin]

Geez you guys should never play Dota/LoL, just giving a heads up.

Anyways I think you guys are misunderstanding. While there may be no pause "function" in these types of games, there would of course be (and usually are) safe-spots (check-points and map edges) to go away from the game, or moments of action/battles are usually small bursts (unless bosses) that last like 10 seconds ~ 30 seconds. These two things combined usually give players plenty of opportunities to go away from the game at any time. It's just not an official "pause".

 

[Eschaton]

I believe RPG is a terrible genre for disallowing pausing.  Strategy-heavy genres such as RPG, RTS, sports, all require the appeal to people with slower reaction time.

 

[kerbonklin]

I believe RPG is a terrible genre for disallowing pausing.  Strategy-heavy genres such as RPG, RTS, sports, all require the appeal to people with slower reaction time.

RTS is extremely the opposite......you HAVE to have plenty of free-time for RTS games. And an RTS match can last 30 minutes or more. RTS games are meant to be played multiplayer/online too so that makes it even more demanding of constant play.

 

[Omnimental]

Not being able to pause in an RPG would cause me to not go back to it, personally.  Online games disallow pausing solely because you're playing with other people.

... Wait.  Outside of MMOs, what RPGs DON'T let you pause?  I honestly can't think of one.

 

[Napoleon]

I believe RPG is a terrible genre for disallowing pausing.  Strategy-heavy genres such as RPG, RTS, sports, all require the appeal to people with slower reaction time.

Agreed except that RTS games rely on quick reacions (map awareness, micro & macro skills). But having no pause in RPG's... Not my thing.

 

[kerbonklin]

... Wait.  Outside of MMOs, what RPGs DON'T let you pause?  I honestly can't think of one.

There's an Action Diablo-style jrpg by the name Soma Bringer for the DS (has an English translation patched rom) that has no pausing. (Unless you close the DS for sleep mode)  However the only time where you can't AFK safely would be boss-battles (which don't even take long at all)

I honestly think some of you are over-exaggerating.

 

[Omnimental]

There's an Action Diablo-style jrpg by the name Soma Bringer for the DS (has an English translation patched rom) that has no pausing. (Unless you close the DS for sleep mode)  However the only time where you can't AFK safely would be boss-battles (which don't even take long at all)

I honestly think some of you are over-exaggerating.

I would count putting it into sleep mode as pausing.  And I was serious.  I literally could not think of an RPG that lacks an ability to pause it somehow outside of MMOs.

Are you specifically talking about the game pausing while you're in menu, or pausing in general?  Because I could understand where you're coming from a lot better with the former.  The latter only really serves a positive purpose in MMOs and pet simulators.

 

[kerbonklin]

Are you specifically talking about the game pausing while you're in menu, or pausing in general?  Because I could understand where you're coming from a lot better with the former.  The latter only really serves a positive purpose in MMOs and pet simulators.

The game-world doesn't pause while in menus, talking to NPCs, etc. No real "Pause" function that would normally freeze all functions of the game.

And closing the DS is pretty much a pseudo-pause, but only because that's part of the handheld console itself as a function. I'm pretty sure it's not an option for developers to disable the sleep mode in their games. Players aren't intended to use that by normal game standards as a makeshift pause. It's more like an unfortunate design flaw that they just shrugged off.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

For RPGs with ABS, I would like to have pauses... it's just tiring not to have one, especially if time count does affect the game... though it really depends on your game...

 

[Eschaton]

What irks me are games tht have a pause and a menu. Like, as separate buttons.

 

[arekpowalan]

A good reason to make a real pause is to stop the music. As AVGN said, just in case you need to talk on phone or something. In fact, some of AVGN rants simply involve a game pause that doesn't stop the music.

It sorts of make sense pause and menu would be assigned in different buttons since they are whole different things. You pause the game to temporary stop the whole process, while you access the main menu to rearrange your party members or check your status, so .technically. you're still playing the game, as seen from that the clock's still ticking.

Pausing reminds me of FFIX and the whole Excaliber II quest, where you have to play the game against the timer. Pausing the game won't hurt your progress if you suddenly need go to have a dinner while in-game, you're miles away from a save point, or you're stuck in a battle.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

as seen from that the clock's still ticking.

that is a game dependent thing... XD... there are games that stop the clock when ur on menu, some doesn't... even time stopping during a "pause" is game dependent, though most would surely go the pause time too...