I took a while to make this topic, because for a long time, I couldn't think of how to word a title. I thought 'timed exclusives', but that's not what I mean.
What I mean is...well, Trails is the worst offender I know of. Quests that expire. Collectibles that are available only in ONE chapter, or maybe even only in one circumstance, during a certain sequence of events.
My most recent game completion is Final Fantasy VII Remake, and it has timed availability, too, both in questing and in collectibles, mainly the music tracks.
What do you all think of that kind of thing? Do you think having missable quests and collectibles, where you MUST get the item by a certain time or lose your chance to get it until you start an NG+ playthrough, is fun? Does it add something you like to the gameplay?
I find it annoying, tbh. Less the ones where you have the whole chapter, but Trails is downright awful. You can only find Book #? In Chapter 3, after you accept Quest Z and go to Area B, but BEFORE you speak to the cafeteria NPC. If you speak to that NPC, the book will no longer trigger when you speak to Soldier Y at the entrance, even if you're still in 3. Even if you're still on the same quest and have not left the area.
I'm not fond of content where you must either be very lucky, or you must be following a walkthrough as you play. I can deal with SOME timed items...I suppose it adds to the appeal to replay, if you miss things, but I don't think that's the best way to encourage people to replay your game, personally...but some games take it too far.
So? Love that kind of thing? Or think it should be wiped from existence forever in every form? Like it or lump it (Lump it? Never fully understood that idiom.) what do you think the point of it is, and why are some devs so dedicated to it?
Timed quests and content
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- Anonymous Fish
Hate it. It's the sort of thing that makes me feel I need to play the entire game with a walkthrough in hand. Sometimes even if I am using a walkthrough, I end up missing something because I didn't think to check it at just the right moment.
It's not as bad if the game is up-front about what's going on. Like, outright warning you that you're about to pass a point of no return and asking you if you're sure you want to do that. Though that can still be annoying if there's no way to check if you've actually finished everything that needs doing in the current area.
It's not as bad if the game is up-front about what's going on. Like, outright warning you that you're about to pass a point of no return and asking you if you're sure you want to do that. Though that can still be annoying if there's no way to check if you've actually finished everything that needs doing in the current area.
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- Custodian of Corn
- Posts: 457
- Joined: Jul 26, 2009 12:11 am
My thoughts are affected by the reward. If the reward can be obtained somewhere else besides the timed quest, then it's annoying but fine enough (usually). If the reward for the timed and easily miss-able quest is exclusive to the quest and cannot be obtained another way, then that's a great way to get me to hate the game. These thoughts also apply to miss-able items unrelated to quests.
I agree with Milo that games being upfront about timed quests does soften the blow to my enjoyment of the game, but timed quests in general are irritating, especially if the quests are timed for no good in-universe reason. A timed quest having a sensible reason to be timed in-universe (such as a quest featuring a character that dies partway through the story) is better than a timed quest that is timed for seemingly no good reason. This difference does not change that timed quests (and miss-able items) are at best annoying and at worse infuriating.
I agree with Milo that games being upfront about timed quests does soften the blow to my enjoyment of the game, but timed quests in general are irritating, especially if the quests are timed for no good in-universe reason. A timed quest having a sensible reason to be timed in-universe (such as a quest featuring a character that dies partway through the story) is better than a timed quest that is timed for seemingly no good reason. This difference does not change that timed quests (and miss-able items) are at best annoying and at worse infuriating.