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HoboBen
Created : 08 March 2010
 

(Game Design) Too Awesome To Use



https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TooAwesomeToUse
This really bugs me.

At the end of Dragon Age: Origins (or pretty much any RPG I've ever played) I'm left with an inventory full of super-powerful arrows that I never used because I didn't want to waste them. Instead I used the arrows with the basic "+2 fire damage".

 

Comments
Monday, 08 March 2010, 12:52
JL235
 		Seconded in games with inventories as you also often get a second inverse issue too. The last boss (or area) is too easy because you realise it's probably the end of the game so you go through using all your super stuff kicking ass (which is too easy and so dull).
Tuesday, 09 March 2010, 05:08
Mog
 		I tend to do this with games like Castlevania (the RPG-ish ones) - you rack up on one-time-use potions and items and are like 'Noooo Don't wanna use it' until usually you're made to do it out of desperation, which usually pumps you way up and makes you kill faster, even though you didn't need it anyways.

So just as an experiment, I used items as the situation came along. If something gives you a lot of grief, that's when you roll out the big guns, otherwise- save it.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010, 17:23
mindstorm8191
 		Thats an aweful long list of games that have ended up doing that. But the article never seems to discuss any design solutions to this. Does anyone have any ideas? The issue of 'use only once' seems to be the biggest problem. Perhaps the game could provide multi-use items like that, but take them away before the last section of the game. But I don't know.

What do you think?
Thursday, 18 March 2010, 02:27
HoboBen
 		Just some thoughts...

In Dragin Age, it would have been better if arrows never ran out. In other games, maybe there are only a certain number of arrow types (e.g. iron, steel, barbed) which can all be purchased and any enchantments are specific to the bow you use instead.

The only potions should be for healing, mana, and cures for poison/paralyse/petrify, etc. Any buffs should be *permanent* potions.

Magic scrolls... never liked them. always ended up taking up inventory space before I decided, sod it, I'll sell them all. Perhaps if they were *ridiculously* powerful, at least you wouldn't want to sell them. Or maybe they're cheap and plentiful and you can buy fireball-scrolls in bulk. That way your non-magic knight can cast all the magic he wants.