Vidya Gaems General

ClockworkUniverse

Properly spaced, I guess this works. However, checkpoints can be done so that they basically lead up to "stuff that is just tedious length padding like enemies with a ton of hp but not much actual danger", too.

Very true. But if checkpoints are poorly placed, adding a life system won't improve on that.

Alkthash

Editing for clarity before other people respond smartass. If you want to pick nits, wait until the whole picture has been fixed. And like I've been saying, the challenge added by lives systems isn't good challenge, but the epitome of padding by design alone. And I acknowledged that checkpoints can have problems if not spaced properly, but I still believe they are better able to execute their purpose than lives. 

 

Or to put my feelings like this. Lives systems are like pagers. Useful when they came out, but with things like cellphones and smartphones they are tragically obsolete.

Eelektross

That's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that both lives systems and checkpoints can be done well/poorly.

Or to put my feelings like this. Lives systems are like pagers. Useful when they came out, but with things like cellphones and smartphones they are tragically obsolete.

That's something worth considering. Lives systems were, in fact, introduced because technology was not advanced enough for a proper checkpoint system. 

Alkthash

But to go back to the pager/cellphone analogy - there is absolutely no reason to use a pager when you have easy access to a cellphone. 

Eelektross

That was written before your response.

Crimson

Unless you're a doctor, in which case you have to use them.

/pedantic

MillerCross

So you are saying that doctors and, say, nurses have to play with lives system games?

Alkthash

Man Crimson, why do you hate medical professionals?

Firebert

At least most mainstream games seem to be moving away from lives systems.

Eelektross

At least most mainstream games seem to be moving away from lives systems.

I like how the new Mario games don't have lives systems anymore. Although this is probably because NSMB-onwards rendered them pointless.

Crimson

hey they'll be fine

thats what medical school is for

Alkthash

But medical schooling is suffering... debt and suffering and blood and poop and debt and cranky patients and doctors who will abuse you every step of the way...

Crimson

Now, is that better or worse than a lives system?

WHICH IS IT?!

Eelektross

Unless you're a doctor, in which case you have to use them.

So basically if your patients die because you screwed up, they respawn and can do this several times?

Man, I wish real life was like that.

Alkthash

Do you want to apply a lives system to cleaning a patient's briefs? Do you want to apply a lives system to surgery? Do you want to apply a lives system to telling a patient's family just how fucked up medically their loved one is?

 

You monster. 

Eelektross

Do you want to apply a lives system to cleaning a patient's briefs?

How would that...even work?

Alkthash

Don't manage to preserve the maximum amount of dignity for the patient and you have to do it again. And both of you are aware this is a redo.

This happens every time you fail.

MillerCross

dante was wrong

that's the actual ninth circle of hell

DYRE

This post is going to be of interest to absolutely nobody, but whatever.

So after not concerning myself with Guitar Hero or Rock Band for a while, I decided to see what new songs are considered to be hard/haven't been full-comboed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lBqszGVCKM

This is the stupidest professionally-made note chart I have ever seen in a rhythm game. (hard parts start at 2:09 and 3:48)

The Rock Band 3 version of Operation Ground and Pound probably also deserves some recognition for how stupidly overcharted it is, but at least it's Dragonforce, so that sort of thing is expected.

Lai

On lives and Mega Man:



What would you suggest if the player finds one of the bosses is too hard without his weakness and wishes to pick an easier one without the lives system? Not arguing, just curious.

An option to go back to the stage select screen when you die sound ok? That's my two cents.

Firebert

That would be much less frustrating than the lives system, yes.

ClockworkUniverse

That would work. Or just something you could do from the pause menu or whatever.

MillerCross

That's an option on the later X games, IIRC

Lai

I recall it happening in X6.



I also happen to hate X6. I am not saying that idea itself is terrible because that's terrible logic.



I just really hate X6 for its poor design.

DYRE

I remember liking X6 when I first played it since I was disappointed by how easy X5 was, and X6 was actually difficult.  Though, in retrospect, it was difficult mostly due to some atrocious level and boss design, so I don't know how much I'd like it now.  Probably still more than X5 though.

Lai

I didn't really feel X5. Kind of eh on it.

MillerCross

I liked X5 and X6 but I played it when I was a kid.

Also, I think the idea was on the Zero games but I'm not sure.

vandro

I loved X5, the bosses were members of Gun'N'Roses. I never played X6.

And I loved Zero games.

Lai

I enjoyed the Zero games myself, though I think their difficulty is overexaggerated.

DYRE

The Zero games are hard for pretty much the same reason the GBA version of Megaman & Bass is hard.  The GBA screen is really, really small.