Question What standard gaming conventions annoy you?

[ZedClampet]

As an example of what I mean, It annoys me (just a little) that almost every race game starts out in medias res. You don't even have a chance to go to the menu. You launch the game and are immediately in a race (or worse, a series of races). When I launch a game for the first time, I like to look around before I start actually playing. I want to look at the gameplay settings, the graphics settings, etc.

Are there any gaming conventions that annoy you?

 

[Colif]

As an example of what I mean, It annoys me (just a little) that almost every race game starts out in medias res. You don't even have a chance to go to the menu. You launch the game and are immediately in a race (or worse, a series of races). When I launch a game for the first time, I like to look around before I start actually playing. I want to look at the gameplay settings, the graphics settings, etc.

same can apply to tutorials. Lots of games lock your choices right at the start.

Are there any gaming conventions that annoy you?

Probably all of them

 

[Johnway]

Unskippable intro screens when you start the game. Look, i know who made the game, just a log on the menu screen will suffice. Better yet a splash screen with all the logos and then let me play the bloody game! Or just put that crap in the credits screen!


Edit: Multiplayer games. needing to unlock weapons and perks etc. We know there's a meta and everyone will abuse it. Not unlocked it? you're performance is restricted so you're not only inexperienced, but also disadvantaged equipment wise making life harder for everyone.

 

[DXCHASE]

Forcing us to adjust brightness before i even play the game. Let me change it if i dont like it after i see the current setting, why do i need to be forced right away? Im assuming it has to do with accessibility, but i almost NEVER touch it, its just another screen to have to skip after the unskippable dev screens.

Edit: Multiplayer games. needing to unlock weapons and perks etc. We know there's a meta and everyone will abuse it. Not unlocked it? you're performance is restricted so you're not only inexperienced, but also disadvantaged equipment wise making life harder for everyone.

This 100%. Passes should just include cosmetic items and/or XP boosters or something but not gating weapons/armor/perks.

 

[ZedClampet]

This 100%. Passes should just include cosmetic items and/or XP boosters or something but not gating weapons/armor/perks.

Worst I've ever seen was a game that had some of the best weapons and armor in real money loot boxes. And the chance to get each item was extremely low. Some players, from talking to them, spent hundreds of dollars on these loot boxes. One of them never got his armor and wrote a letter complaining and all he received back was a note stating that it was random, so he wasn't guaranteed to receive what he wanted. I refused to buy any and when I saw what was in them (it was posted in the wiki), it basically pushed me away from the game. I'm sure that since I didn't buy their loot boxes that they didn't care at all that I left.

 

[Johnway]

Worst I've ever seen was a game that had some of the best weapons and armor in real money loot boxes. And the chance to get each item was extremely low. Some players, from talking to them, spent hundreds of dollars on these loot boxes. One of them never got his armor and wrote a letter complaining and all he received back was a note stating that it was random, so he wasn't guaranteed to receive what he wanted. I refused to buy any and when I saw what was in them (it was posted in the wiki), it basically pushed me away from the game. I'm sure that since I didn't buy their loot boxes that they didn't care at all that I left.

i see this a lot in F2P games. You want the best armor? well you can; for a small period of time! after that it just bleeds you for more money. if i recall my brother played age of wushu pulled that crap on you.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I hate it when a game starts off in a low resolution, and you have to watch a long, important introductory cut scene in low resolution before you ever have a chance to change the settings.

 

[Brian Boru]

Needing 5-6 clicks to enter and exit a game.

Enter:
Mostly I want to continue where I left off—give me 1 click to do that, bypassing MS's UAC and all the games 'Yeh, know you're 15 hours in SP campaign, but here's how to get to MP' and similar useless steps.

Exit:
Yes, I do.
Yes, I know I'll lose all unsaved—but why TF isn't saving a built-in part of Exiting anyway?
Oh yeah, I'm so sure;
Why am I back at the main menu?
Sure? Who, me? Oh I guess…

Enter:
Worst is where the multiple clicks can't be done at the same time.
Yeah sure, update Steam;
15s later—Oh, need to update Ubisoft Connect also… how thoughtful;
22s later—FFS, yes, con-freakin-tinue!
40s later—Uh huh, load last save;
12s later—Play!

It would truly be a wonderful idea if devs were forced to play their own games

 

[Zloth]

I think I've said it before a few times, but the "Press a key" screens bother me. Why have them?? You push a key, and it just shows you the menu it could have just as easily shown you without waiting.

But, more to the point, why ask me anything at all if I've already been playing the game. I use the main menu a lot when I first play a game to get the settings straight but, after that, I want to load the latest save and play 99% of the time. For the other 1%, I can press ESC to see the menu. (No Man's Sky did this, and I've wanted it everywhere ever since.)

@Brian Boru - in MGS5 you confirm that you are exiting to the main menu, then have to go into the Options menu, then exit. OR you could just press ALT-F4. (I really need to get in the habit of using that more. Console gamers expect to just shut off power, so most games these days are designed to handle 'sudden death.')

 

[Pifanjr]

In addition to the complaints about the "Press a key" screens and needing multiple clicks to enter the game: games using a launcher. In 99% of cases, when I start a game, I don't care to change my settings first or fiddle with what mods are loaded. It would be nice if there was just a separate button for opening the launcher.

Warhammer 2 at least gives you a "continue" button on the launcher that takes you directly to your last save.

 

[Colif]

The best weapons and armor in real money loot boxes. And the chance to get each item was extremely low. Some players, from talking to them, spent hundreds of dollars on these loot boxes. One of them never got his armor and wrote a letter complaining and all he received back was a note stating that it was random, so he wasn't guaranteed to receive what he wanted

All I hear when I read that is DIablo Immortal. its studied all the worst P2W features and slammed them together to make people want to pay money for things that are pointless. Only upside of entire game is its banned in China before it was ever released, depriving Blizzard from releasing it in the country it was designed to milk. Just need to stop rest of the idiots from p(l)aying it now.
Hundreds is low end, people are spending 10's of thousands of dollars on this. I can't stop people wasting their money, its theirs after all but the side effects it has on rest of us who don't want to pay anymore after we buy game, is really annoying. And makes me concerned about future... they might want every game to make 24 million in first 2 weeks.

 

[Pifanjr]

Games requiring every player to have their own controller for local play. If the keyboard user doesn't need the mouse to play, it means there's no reason why two (or more) people cannot use the same keyboard. This is especially annoying considering that with Steam Remote Play you do each have your own keyboard to play on, yet one of you still needs a controller.

Shout out to Fling to the Finish for letting players share one controller.

 

[Slasken]

I hate always online in single player games

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Yes, I know I'll lose all unsaved—but why TF isn't saving a built-in part of Exiting anyway?

I agree with your whole post, except this. There have been plenty of times when I've royally screwed up, and I don't want to save when I exit. I want to be able to go back to a previous saved game when I come back to it. If it automatically saved on exit, I would have been screwed a few times.

Which brings up another convention I hate. I hate it when a game won't let you load a saved game from within the game. The games that make you exit to the menu, or even sometimes completely exit the game before you can reload a saved game. That sucks. It should be standard to be able to be playing the game, and just hit Escape and choose to load a game. Every game should be like that.

 

[Zloth]

Which brings up another convention I hate. I hate it when a game won't let you load a saved game from within the game. The games that make you exit to the menu, or even sometimes completely exit the game before you can reload a saved game.

What game does that!?

 

[Brian Boru]

a game won't let you load a saved game from within the game

What? I've never met that, is it a console exclusive or what?

Obviously an 'Exit Save' just exists as one of the saves you can choose from, and should be the default for my 'one-button resume where I left off' wish.

 

[Slasken]

What? I've never met that, is it a console exclusive or what?

Obviously an 'Exit Save' just exists as one of the saves you can choose from, and should be the default for my 'one-button resume where I left off' wish.

I think he means "from within the game" as playing the game, and not only from the main menu.

 

[Colif]

I hate always online in single player games

i hate this too, but I can't bring self to like post. It seems counter productive... I don't like it at all. Its only there to make you used to idea of always being online... next step is cash shop. Single player games I never intend to play anyone else in, don't need internet connections. It just limits your audience. I know they say its to stop piracy but i don't buy their reasoning. Its just an excuse.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

What game does that!?

+

What? I've never met that, is it a console exclusive or what?

I can't remember offhand, but I know I've run into it more than once, since I've been frustrated by it. And no, it wasn't console exclusive; it was always on PC.

 

[Brian Boru]

I know I've run into it more than once

Is it like Slasken says?

I think he means "from within the game" as playing the game, and not only from the main menu.

I've had games with eg F5 Quick Save and F8 Load Quickie, is that what you mean? If so, I agree, very handy.

Apart from that, it would be too cumbersome to give you a lot of options tho—you'd need a hotkey for each save, and player would need to remember which was which.

 

[Slasken]

Is it like Slasken says?

I've had games with eg F5 Quick Save and F8 Load Quickie, is that what you mean? If so, I agree, very handy.

Apart from that, it would be too cumbersome to give you a lot of options tho—you'd need a hotkey for each save, and player would need to remember which was which.

I was thinking about loading from the pause menu, and not having to exit to the main menu.

Agree about f5 and f8 though. Very handy.

 

[Pifanjr]

I remember some games where you can't load directly from the game as well. I think Conquest of Elysium does that and I vaguely remember another game doing it as well. I think in both cases it's to discourage save scumming.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Is it like Slasken says?

Yeah Slasken was right. I'm talking about from within the game, not going back to the main menu. And even though I can't remember what it was, I know I've experienced at least one game where you had to completely exit the game and open it back up in order to load a saved game. Whatever it was, that sucked.

I'm sure @Pifanjr is right about preventing save scumming, but why they gotta go and do something like that? I like save scumming. The best thing about playing things in an emulator is when you can use save states to instantly save and reload so you can keep trying something over and over. I've abused that in so many old RPGs where you can gamble to increase your gold amount.

 

[Johnway]

Just finished mafia 3 and its brought another one to the fore. Unskippable end game credits! yes, you want to give people credits and their due, but honestly i shouldn't be forced to sit through it if i don't want to. Especially for possible extra content. Why don't you just let us go and play/see that instead. Alternatively make end game credits interesting instead of just a wall of text, why not have more end game stuff. Why not cram it into an epilogue fmv sequence running in the background?

 

[technomadic_rony]

Motion Blur being On by default. I can't for the life of me figure out, who would want that on. I get headaches if I ever play any game with that on.