What do you despise in a game?

[Matseb2611]

- The game spending cutscene after cutscene in the intro telling you every little detail of the backstory. In such early stages most people don't care about backstories. They just want to get a feel of the game and try out some action. Leave elaborate backstories for later. Making the player find out the backstory gradually throughout the course of the game is a lot more interesting than doing the info dump at the very beginning.

 - When the dialogue just goes on and on and on. Though some parts of the game are likely to have long dialogues, it's fine if the dialogue actually progresses forward rather than the characters repeating themselves constantly. If it takes you 10 text boxes to say something that can be said in 2, then you've got a problem.

 - When female characters only serve as a romantic role. Even worse when this applies to every female character in the game, and the only one that isn't involved in romance is either ugly, disfigured, or unusually masculine. We always have plenty of male characters that remain single throughout the course of the story and aren't involve in any romance. Why can't this apply to female characters as well?

 - Random encounters only annoy me when they are:

        - way too frequent

        - happen when I am trying to solve a puzzle

        - give an extremely low chance to escape successfully

- Dungeons that are way too massive and convoluted. Padding out the game by making dungeons bigger than they should be is not fun. Having to see the same environments and fighting the same enemies over and over for too long is boring.

- Save points only annoy me when they are:

        - too scarce (I personally like them to be no rarer than every 10-15 mins of the game)

        - impose silly restrictions on you, such as being able to save a limited number of times at each save point

        - hidden or impossible to access unless you do something that carries risks of its own

- A game not telling/warning the player beforehand when they're about to go somewhere with no return or about to do something that's irreversible (and could bear consequences later on).

- Going to echo pretty much everyone here in regard to bland combat. This includes:

        - Spamming attack all the time

        - No skills at the start

        - Too few skills in later stages, forcing you to use the same 1-2 skills over and over

        - Boss fights that provide no real challenge but drag on because they have way too much HP

        - Reviving items only restoring 1 HP to a downed party member

- Grinding. It should be optional, not mandatory. Besides, there are much better and more interesting ways to get the players to level up, such as sidequests, optional content, and exploration.

 - No clear directions as to where to go and what to do. Some sort of quest journal is a must, unless the game is very linear.

 - Useless time sinks: fishing, mining ore, cutting wood, etc, just to stock up on some resource, or as mentioned already, sidequests that require you to find X number of some item.

I'll stop for now or else this post will be too long.

 

[B.Ultimus]

Anything that was an overly used mechanic in the 'old school days' such as attack-spam grinding, invisible random encounters, etc. 

If you're excuse for this is, "Well my RPG is classic and old school.", then you might as well say, "I'm uncreative  and lazy".

And seconding Sailerius' point:  Instant deaths are no bueno. 

You can add all the resistances and increased chances you want, but 50% chance of death or 100% chance of death still have the same effect, you are taking control away from the player.

 

[Ms Littlefish]

Excessive hand holding. Maybe it's because I played cut throat games from the NES but I figured it out.

I understand you should never assume your audience is entirely made of seasoned gamers and that some things need to be explained, but sometimes the game explains the most common and mundane aspects that were never questioned (control stick/d-pad/arrow keys to move) and can info dump in one go and take away any need to think about how to solve the problem,  just giving you the answer. I prefer if the game is taught as it goes along and if they can carefully imply what I should do instead of just telling me, and then the difficulty with the newly introduced mechanic can scale from there.

 

[BoluBolu]

1. Very long movie or cutscene which is boring and didn't explain anything important(or even related) to the game, especially goes with bad music, because really I'm a person who judge game greatness almost 50% from music(it's my personal).

2. Back and forth destination for continuing the game without an instant portal/transport device, Digimon World 3 is the evil here, recall the time when Junior need to resolve problem about piggy things, he need to go back and fort between Byakko city and Asuka city, not mention need to change between Asuka and Amaterasu server.

3. Mispelling words hurting my eyes.

4. Fancy character name, example : Zach Vander Singh, Evan Lisworth Pinez or something like that, which even the name is not a native name from some place, I mean it's a fancy weird name, it's okay if your game has a settings in some place or nation that have it's own culture, but if not then just go with standard name, be creative is good, but do not over fancy especially long triple words name.. HATE this.

5. Of course BUG.  I believe no one will love this thing exist in a game, especially when it makes the game stuck or cannot be playable or worst.

6. Game that do excessive dishonor to a specific race or ethnicity in this world. This is not really problem if it's related to the game main plot but please do not to to excessive until offense a specific race or ethnic.

That's all I regards those six matter give me sign that the developer did not really try to play the game him/herself, also did not pay attention in courtesy, thus means he/she not developing the game with passion, aside from those I have mentioned above, like gameplay system for example: grinding, save mechanism, battle system, I consider it a challenge for the player so not really problem that will make me hate or throw away the game.

 

[SergeX]

I don't see THAT problem with random encounters. Just don't put a 10-steps encounter rate (like Digital Devil Saga 1 lol). 45-50 steps works well, not excessive and you can actually walk a entire room without running into enemies. 

- About RPG Makers games, you MUST NOT put any encounters on a puzzle room, it breaks the sequence of thinking about how to solve the puzzle.

- Give repel itens right in the begginning of the game. Ex: a magical amulet which reduces encounter rate by 60~80%. Some people save it for the very end of the game. Why? This doesn't make sense. 

- 100% sucess escape. If theres an option to escape, its unecessary make the player fail at the atempt and wait a whole turn of enemies attacking so he can try again. This way, you're forcing the player to battle, since depending on the situation is more fast to actually kill the enemies than trying thousand times to flee and see: "the party can't escape!" 

And about long intros, I agree about not taking too much time. Although sometimes, it works. See Persona 4. How many hours of cutscenes before the first battle? I mean... If the story is good, I don't mind. The problems are bad setting/story or/and poor writing. But since we're not good as great writers the best is not abuse too much. 

 

[Matseb2611]

- Give repel itens right in the begginning of the game. Ex: a magical amulet which reduces encounter rate by 60~80%. Some people save it for the very end of the game. Why? This doesn't make sense.

The reason I give it later on in the game is because I don't want the players to be severely underlevelled. Yes, it shouldn't be all about levelling up and grinding, but it will come into play to some degree in majority of RPGs. If you give the players items that reduce random encounters at the very start, some players will definitely use them the entire time, and they will be underlevelled for late game bosses, and then they'll just blame the developer for poor game design. So I tend to give these items at the point in the game where wearing them the entire time will not hurt the players much.

It's kind of the same thing for accessories that give a higher than normal Exp rate. Give them too early and some players will be too overlevelled and find the game too easy.

 

[KindaCool]

One problem with despising a feature is usually that these features or the absence of them aren't black-and-white. For example, save points alone are bad because they limit the player's ability to leave the game at any time. It also potentially sets the player back if they get a game over between save points, effectively causing the player to think they wasted their time. But save points combined with other features, e.g. a quicksave feature, make it more tolerable for casual players, and a no gameover system that sends the player back to the last save point with most/all of their experience, items, gold etc. removes the frustration of losing loads of progress.

Similarly, it seems to be random encounters tend to be seen as black-and-white as well. Perhaps this is weird but I think one game that handled random encounters perfectly was Pokemon. There were a few times you couldn't avoid walking into tall grass, a cave, or a trainer, but most of the time you could avoid fighting if you wanted to.

Ultimately, I think what makes difficult/annoying features more tolerable is that they are optional and not harsh on the player. Ultimately people play games to have fun, not to get stressed out.

 

[Diretooth]

AT this point, I'd like to mention a VXA game called 'Last Dream' that actually manages to address save points and random encounters by having two menus that you can set saving and random encounters (Ranging from rare to grinding, or easy to hard more). It can be a bit tedious if you like to constantly switch, but it actually makes the game pretty fun when you can set everything to your own personal niche.

 

[Eurgh]

3. Mispelling words hurting my eyes.

5. Of course BUG.  I believe no one will love this thing exist in a game, especially when it makes the game stuck or cannot be playable or worst.

I'm sorry but... It may not be actual misspelling. Except of course you actually failed to spell "Misspelling", but your grammar especially in your 5th point kinda detracts from your prejudice against the misspelling of words. 

Once again, I am sorry. But it had to be pointed out.

 

[Ms Littlefish]

It still doesn't really detract from the point. Spelling and grammar is important. Even those highly proficient in writing need editors. 

 

[Eurgh]

It still doesn't really detract from the point. Spelling and grammar is important. Even those highly proficient in writing need editors. 

For me it does, it's all well and good pointing a finger at someone whom spelt something incorrectly, however he mention that misspelling words hurts his eyes (of course a figure of speech) but, surely his OWN misspellings would hurt his eyes too, yet he still does it. So what's different from HIS misspellings and somebody else's? People in glass houses...

 

[Diretooth]

Moving on...

IT was recently brought to my attention that a game called Watch Dogs has the central theme of privacy, yet doesn't explore that concept fully. So the point of games having a moral dilemma that isn't so much a dilemma than shoot people to win is one I'd like to put forward. Also, along with this point, is one thing I really don't like.

Really Important Topics.

Specifically, when a game or story has a central theme to it that doesn't get explored, like the example prior.

 

[hian]

Most of these apply to all games I play, but some are RPG-specific.


1. Repetitive game-play without depth, and without regular rewards for engaging in the repetitive behavior.


2. Sloppy coding/lack of debug I.E games with clipping issues, inconsistent math, etc.


3. Grind(ties together with 1)


4. Poor sound-production - use of a few tracks over and over again, lack of sound-effects that give character to the actions going on, poor volume balance where some things get drowned out whilst others grind your ears etc.


5. Long dungeons with multiple path forks.


6. Games that obviously want you to clear them 100%(as in games with "true endings" etc), but require you to do ridiculously hard tasks, or clear tedious mini-games in order for you to attain that 100%.


7. Games that try to hard to be innovative and original just for the heck of it, and break with established convention with no regards for why those conventions might have existed to begin with, and then just end up being broken, poorly balanced, and/or contrived.


That's it I guess.

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

Wow... out of everyone it feels like I am the only easy customer to deal with when it comes to RPG games? Even so, I still have thigns that does grind my teeth to hate a game, here is my list

No brain required/Easy battles

I enjoy games that requires me to think and strategies my next move, if your game fails to make me shout: "OH shiet!" when the enemy does something to me that purposely ruin my 1st plan forcing me to think up another plan then sorry, I would get too bored and play something else.

Visible HP

I. HATE. THIS! Not only it shows you on how quick you are defeating your enemy but it makes the game too easy and too predictable, if your game has boss fights that the boss will have phases in the battle you can obviously tell when the bosses next phase will be if you are fighting it the 2nd time (If you failed the 1st time of course), this way you can easily prepare yourself and overtake the boss with ease, showing enemy HP doesn't make sense the characters would either have to be psychic or they must have a doctors degree in knowing how healthy the enemy is just by looking at them. (The Breath of Fire series made good sense though, enemy HP is ? the 1st time you fight them but when you fight them again their HP is revealed so I could let that slide.)

Bad Voice Acting

One of the main reasons I enjoy playing JRPG games is because most of them allow you to change the voice over to Japanese, every single time I play a game and it has English voice over the voice acting is horrific, it is like they are reading the script for the 1st time without any emotion put into their voices and if they try to put emotion into their dialogues it sounds like they are trying too hard or too enthusiastic. Final Fantasy 10 I am looking at you, Yuna sounded terrible the voice actress sounded (or tried sounding) hesitant, nervous or downright clumsy like it was her 1st time voice acting but thankfully she got a little better in 10-2 but still it sounded horrible.

Auto-AI Characters

This slowly made me hate RPG all together, when they started making RPG games that you only play as the main character and all the other characters are AI controlled, looking at you FF12. Not to mention it is getting worse that all characters are being auto-run. It is like watching a movie but with a User Interface, FF12 &13 I like to point out, I was so excited about 13 but when I was playing it, it felt like I was watching a movie instead, I like to play all of my characters thank you very much. If all RPG games ended like that then I would prefer to watch my anime.

Random Last Boss

This is a pet hate but I get cringes when after fighting a awesome last boss(Assumed) and finally go into a scene it shows you in battle again but in a different place and then BOOM a huge new last boss appears but you know nothing about this boss that would leave you saying: "Who the *BEEP* is that?". Please RPGmaker devs please avoid this, do not try to extend your game by adding a hidden last boss that comes out after fighting the last boss that was the main reason why they (The main characters) are there in the 1st place. A fair example of this goes to FF9! After defeating the almighty and forever tranced Kuja in a awesome BGM (Who expected a rock remix battle version of Kuja's theme?), Kuja gets swooped away and then this massive things comes out and says: "I am going to end the world now..." out of nowhere, it is annoying and it really needs to be avoided.

Useless Characters

If you are planning on making 10 characters in your game, please for the love of Manah don't make them useless, this is a real problem in most RPG games, when you have 10 characters in your group and you only use 3 or 4 of them (Depending on how much you allow into your party) make them all useful and unique in some way (Example: Rikku (FF10) can insta kill a Machina just by stealing) don't take that example but just somehow make those characters useful that will make the player think what to do on what situation but at the same time don't make it so that it forces a player to use that certain character to progress in the game.

That's all I can think for now but I will probably add more later.

 

[Omega Weapon]

@OM3GA: I'd like to point out that in FFXII, you can do everything manually if you like, and you can control the AI as well. Gambits, ever heard of them?

What I dislike in games, really dislike in games, not much, but I just can't stand extremely fast-paced RPGs. Especially if they advertise themselves as active turn based. Yes, you can turn down the speed, but I'm talking about games that are incredibly fast even when on slowest. *looks at FFXIII* I'd like some time to think, please.

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

I am fully aware of that but why put it there in the 1st place? Most people I know that played it kept the Auto-AI on for that very purpose, I just see it as a RPG game built for the lazy players IMO.

 

[bgillisp]

I'm going to put another one on here. Any game that is more work than my job. I play games to relax, not to have to juggle your 65 systems you think are cool and that every single one of them should be included, even though it makes the game more complicated than my Differential Equations Textbook to understand.

 

[Diretooth]

Regarding the FFX voice acting thing, the voice actress for Yuna tried to match the lips of Yuna. It was only in X-2 that the game's team actually changed the lip movement to fit a more natural-sounding dialogue. (However, I personally like Yuna's VA, it reminded me of myself when I was younger, always unsure of what to say and how to say it, trying to help others, regardless of how I felt. She was an always will be a relatable character, and in X-2, the change in VA made it seem like she grew more confident in herself and willing to explore the world, rather than let it breeze past her.)

 

[Ultima01]

Warning: Text Wall

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Bad Voice Acting

• This is the story-nut speaking.  I think it's a great game if the story pulls you in.  And what better way to kick you out than bad voice actors!  (I'm looking at you, Tidus)

Maybe this is my hardcore phase speaking, but handholding also pisses me off.  On multiple levels!

• Low Damage Output from enemiesThis just leads to too much stretching of my willing suspension of disbelief.  Most of the time you're playing as human characters.  So why on god's green earth would they take scratch damage from an enemy's attack unless they are freakishly overlevelled?This is only forgivable when your enemies can score critical hits themselves.  And even then, all too many games have critical hits not do much at all.  I think Fire Emblem and its triple-damage crits are the shining example here.  Critical hits should be significant.

[*]Even more egregious when the boss falls prey to this.  We're to expect that this thing that can take out maybe 1/6 of your max HP per turn is a challenge?  It's a boss monster.  Make its attacks HURT.
[*]Damaging Attacks that can't even kill you/freakishly long animations

• Case in Point: Final Fantasy VII's Supernova.  You could leave and make a sandwich by the time it's done and the damage numbers pop up.  And for all its destruction in that time, IT DOES PERCENT-BASED DAMAGE?!  I'd almost rather do a solo Black Mage run in FFI for NES.Percent-damage Gravity attacks in general don't get my hatred as much because they're generally meant to be used against bosses and/or dispel float.  UNTIL SAID MOVES CONSIDER THE DAMAGE CAP.
    No.  Just....  No.

[*]Enemies not having as many tools to work with as the player characters

• You know, just once in my life, I'd like to see a mainstream RPG that has enemies that heal.  Maybe not because it's fun to work around, but certainly for consistency's sake.  If YOU as a player can heal, then your enemies should at least have the option themselves.
• Unless there's a glitch preventing it from working properly, if the player has access to a certain status spell (e.g. Confuse, Charm, or Stun), your enemies should also have access to them.  I ran into the opposite problem once due to a script compatibility issue that caused confused/berserked/charmed enemies to crash the game upon their turn.  I wound up keeping it for the longest time because of my hatred for this brand of handholding.

[*]Melee over Magic

• You know, if a character can just beat out magic by saying "Here, taste my epic one-handed zweihander", there's a serious balancing issue with your game.  Unless resources are freakishly scarce, your unbuffed basic attack should be a good way to get your ass killed, not a foolproof way to save it!  An unbuffed basic attack should never be better than your strongest magic.This can be forgiven only in the eventuality of scoring a critical hit.  But if your SPELLS can score crits, and a basic attack is STILL strictly better, then I'm leaving that game forever.  I will not go through a dungeon just mindlessly attacking whatever enemies I run into.  This is an RPG, I want a level of depth beyond "stabby-stabby -> kill a mook".

[*]Enemies that don't freaking DIE

• Okay, this is kind of forgivable in some cases.  But seriously, we're back to low damage again.  If the enemy's defenses are so high you can't significantly hurt them, you might want to lay off on the defensive buffs that FURTHER magnify this.Bonus points for these enemies being able to HEAL on top of this. *rage*

 

[whitesphere]

@CTelinAjira

A lot of what you say are poor game balance decisions. 

As for "Magic being no more powerful than melee," it really depends on how that's carried out.  If it's not balanced right, magic using characters would be game breakers in combat (OK, so your wizard's Fireball did 6,000 damage, the Fighter's attack did 100).  

I don't like games that are too "hardcore" --- where your party can easily die from a single random encounter, assuming they're in the proper area with the right equipment.  But, really all of these come down to how crucial game balance is to making a good game.

But I do agree that absurdly long animations for attacks should either NOT happen (after the first cinematic event) OR be easily skippable (DS version of FFIV lets you skip Rydia's cinematic-esque Summon animations), since these drastically slow the flow of combat.

I also don't like games that have a lot of Useless Useful Spells (Oh, look, the "Instant Death" spell is ignored by the bosses).  I think those spells should have a small chance of connecting (maybe .1% for the Final Boss) but not 0%.  Basically we developers would make good use of the % failure chance to avert that trope.