Game Mechanics: What do you like?/What don't you like.

With a surprisingly good Nemesis game mechanic in Shadow of Mordor, I had to take a moment and think of the last game mechanic that greatly enhanced the amount of of fun I had in a video game. I am mostly a FPS gamer so the mechanics, for the most part, are the same from game to game.

In your experience what are some notable game mechanics that you enjoyed enough to be memorable. What game's machanics caused the game to be memorable in a negative way? Here are a couple of mine:

Good:

• Shadows of the Collosus
• FF7's Materia System
• WoW's control scheme
• The bow controls in Tomb Raider (the bow made that game for me)

Bad:

• FF8's draw system
• Legend of Grimrock (I know I am probably a minority in this, but everything about how that game played pissed me off)

Oh man... So many Things !

It would be easier to name the Bad Game Mechanics

I dislike

• cutscenes
• dialogue trees
• iron sights (the majority of time they're done TERRIBLY)
• on-rail sections in non-rail shooters/zombie-typing games
• whack-a-mole shooting galleries
• grinding
• shallow economies
• games that don't let me switch the crouch button to CTRL
• games where you can't jump
• God of War's combat
• Turn-based RNG RNG RNG RNG RNG combat
• pathing conflicts
• 12 year olds who have banged my mom

I'm sure I could think of more.

I like:

• Shadow of the Colossus's controls
• Cover systems (when done correctly)
• narrative focused games (ones that treat story-telling as part of the game)
• QTEs (when done correctly)
• targeting systems
• ambiguous moral choice (Dragon Age)
• loot systems
• easy-access menus
• turn-based combat
• Limited HUDs
• "realistic" controls (like GTA and The Last of Us)
• First-Person stealth
• side-scrolling
• Final Fantasy's active-battle system
• hack-n-slash mechanics
• first-person perspective in general
• grinding

I dislike:

• lazy map design (Skyrim, I'm looking at you)
• lazily written stories
• token RPG elements in non-RPG games
• black/white morality systems (excluding Mass Effect)
• loose controls
• excessive cutscenes (Metal Gear Solid -__-)
• silent main characters
• luck-based gameplay
• unnecessary ability loss
• waypoints (let me figure it out on my own)
• fake difficulty
• infinitely respawning enemies
• ESCORT MISSIONS!!!!!! (with FEW exceptions)

There is nothing worse than time missions in video games. NOTHING.

@behardy24: Oh god, yes, I forgot about timed missions. It always feels so arbitrary to put time as a factor in a mission. Most of the time it doesn't make sense either, unless it's a challenge mode for ranking (such as fighting games) but that's it.

I feel the reason they put them in there is because it is a cheap and easy way to make the game "challenging" when it reality is always annoying. One thing I hope this generation stays away game design wise is time missions.

Also underwater/swimming missions are usually pretty bad.

@Lulu_Lulu: Go on :)

I really liked the system in Hitman: Blood Money where after a level you had an amount of notoriety and it was basically a percentage of how stealthy you were. For example, if it's at 0% then you were completely undetected. If it was at say 20% then you probably had witnesses or maybe got caught on camera and in the next level NPCs would be more suspicious of you and there would overall be more security unless you paid off the notoriety for a large sum of money. This is a great system for stealth games because it discourages the run and gun tactic.

@behardy24: That's debatable. They're not all bad. I like the underwater mechanics in the later Zelda games like Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, and Assassin's Creed 4 had some good underwater motion, even if the turning was a little jerky.

Though I haven't played any of the games you mentioned, but I do know a handful of games have done it well. Overall games haven't done a great job in mastering it.(Though I don't really think they need to either unless a game is all focus on swimming.)

@behardy24: As someone who is already afraid of water (bad experience), under water missions suck so hard. I remember dying over and over to one of the undead pirate missions in Minithil Harbor during WoW. Bad times..

Below 1% drop rates

And low drop rates in general

@thatnordicguy

Let me start with one I think would be the most important considering recent events:

LA Noire's Dialog System. Its by no means perfect but what I love most about this Mechanic is how it is so heavily tied to having good graphics to be anywhere near playable let alone engaging.... Everything form Resolution to Animations contributes to this. With the Current Gen's emphasis on Graphics I was hoping for more games based on these Ideas.... Using things We've normally associated with as just eye candy for much more mechanical and Practical Purposes.... So yeah.... LA Noire's Dialogue Mechanic was pretty sweet.

I think that as time goes by more and more with current gen, the more we will see innovation. Well, I thought the same about previous generations as well, but with the hardware being more powerful I am even more hopeful for more innovation in this generation.

I like :

• Shadow of the colossus's controls
• Prince of Persia: warrior within's combat(like picking up any weapon in the game as your secondary weapon)
• Also the pop series's time control mechanic
• First person shooting and the sword fight in shadow warrior
• Cover systems
• Inventory systems(when they do work)
• Isometric perspective
• Stealth mechanics in thief 2
• Narrative driven games
• Open world with tons of things to do
• Choices affecting the story in rpg games
• most of the gameplay mechanics in dark souls series

I dislike:

• Inventory system with weight management.(screw you witcher 2. zero weight mod FTW)
• QTE's
• Walking simulators(except stanley parable)
• Escort missions

@Jetset314

I highly doubt that.... Hardware is not whats stopping Innovation

I would also like to add Dark Souls as a whole for mechanics I like

@Lulu_Lulu: Well I should have said that I would like to think that hardware can no longer be used as an excuse for lack of innovation, and I am hoping that better hardware means more innovation in AAA games. A lot of new stuff comes out of the indie scene, sure, but at the same time if I am going to pay $60 for a AAA game I would like to think that there is more to work with that the last months of the previous gen. I could be wrong, and I probably will be.

@Jetset314: if you want innovation, buy it. Most gamers don't buy innovative games, so devs don't make em.

@mastermetal777: I definitely do buy it so I am doing my part :P.

Escort missions.

@JustPlainLucas

Fetch Quests.

Looting and Scavenging.

extrinsically motivated Grinding (Grinding for reasons other than Grinding).

Oh, and I hate bosses with minions that are only suped up versions of enemies you already killed, and boss-a-thons.

@JustPlainLucas

Sounds like Every JRPG I've ever played.... :(

blink in dishonored was excellent

Then try chrono trigger. I hope you won't be disappointed. But ye will still find a reason to bitch about it.

@Gamerno6666

Yep ! What does everyone even like Chrono Trigger anyway ? Looks boring.

@Gamerno6666

Yep ! What does everyone even like Chrono Trigger anyway ? Looks boring.

@Lulu_Lulu: just play it. If only to say you did. And no the first 5 minutes don't count

@mastermetal777

Make Me ! :p

I mean why should grind 50 hours in an unbalanced trial and error simulator just for you ? Whats in it for me ?

Damnit ! Lol.... Wrong Thread...... That reply was meant for Dark Souls......

Chrono Trigger just looks boring..... :p

@Lulu_Lulu: same answer applies

@mastermetal777

Same question..... Whats in it for me ?

@Lulu_Lulu: a very balanced RPG. That's all I'm gonna say cuz anything else is a spoiler.

@mastermetal777

So its story is the main attraction.... Not Gameplay ?

@Lulu_Lulu: When the hell did I say that? It has excellent gameplay is what I said. I'm just not gonna tell you any more than what I said because you'll find some way to complain about it.

@mastermetal777: Leave him be. He is not worthy. lol

@mastermetal777

With you its always story..... and yes.... Out of all the Genres JRPGs (what a stupid term) have the history with the most annoying design decisions.

@Lulu_Lulu: If you pay attention to anything I say, it's that I put gameplay first. I love story, this is true, but if the gameplay sucks for me, then the story doesn't matter if I can't play it properly.

And Chrono Trigger had great design choices even back in the day. It was also the innovator of the new game plus mode.

Likes:

Combat mechanics like those in LoS series and Devil May Cry 4

Dislikes:

Bland combat like those in Assassin's Creed games.

@mastermetal777

Well yeah sure but your definition of gameplay amounts to basic interaction. So to be honest you put your own version of gameplay 1st.... But generally speaking you don't actually put gameplay 1st.

All the more reason to be Skepticle of Chrono Trigger.... Hell if somebody else reccomended it like Pikminmaniac I might have actually considered it.... He totally gets me :)

@Lulu_Lulu: Uhm...yeah, no. Just because your idea of gameplay doesn't coincide with mine, doesn't mean the game doesn't still have any merit. And if you cared to ask me what games I liked instead of making assumptions, maybe you'll actually realize I love a wide range of games and don't plant my focus solely on narrative-driven games, even though I love them all the same.

As for Chrono Trigger, It's a fantastic game that kills all other games of its time and still holds up to this day. Let me list the pros already:

• No random battles of any sort. All enemies are visible on the map, and all battles/ambushes take place on the same map instead of going to a separate battle screen
• Turn-based gameplay that relies on strategy
• Switches from linear to non-linear about halfway through
• excellent use of consequence-based choices
• characters all have their strengths and weaknesses, but none are ever useless
• Stats don't really matter. Only better equipment matters
• No level scaling
• You can have two different party members attack at once using "techs", which are combo abilities
• techniques replace traditional magic system (think of it as a stamina pool more than mana)
• enemies will move during battle, allowing for tactical moments such as attacking two or more at once and clearing a normally tough battle out in a shorter amount of time
• You can fight the final boss at any point after a certain plot moment (which is early in the game).

@mastermetal777

"Stats don't really matter. Only better equipment matters"

I'm assuming the better equipment is just better stats disguised as new gear. Happens alot.

"You can fight the final boss at any point after a certain plot moment (which is early in the game)."

hey you can do that in Quite a few JRPGs..... I notice you said I "can" do it not that its advisable to do so, can I do it and still win ? Will it be a marathon Fight ?

Also you didn't say anything about what sort of skills this game requires

oh wait... one more:

"Turn-based gameplay that relies on strategy"

Real time games rely on strategy too..... And then some.

@Lulu_Lulu: sure, nowadays these mechanics are commonplace. Could you say the same for 1993, when Chrono Trigger was released? It innovated all of that for future games.

@mastermetal777

So if they are common now then theres no reason for me to go back right ?

@Lulu_Lulu: it still does em all better than most games that try to utilize those mechanics.

@mastermetal777

Yeah but the bar for JRPGs is pretty low. I mean even the legendary Final Fantasy VII is not what people led me to believe it was.

@Lulu_Lulu: Final Fantasy 7 isn't the best of that series by any means. The previous installment was much deeper and more complex. Don't take FF7 as the bar for an entire genre.

@mastermetal777: Lulu-Lulu does not like RPG and will yell at anyone who like them and point to every flaws, something that all game types have, they have and make them sounds much worse then they are. For example he like to point out you can just over level to easily win. Try telling you can cheese your way through any game like beat them up with the punch and dodge