[QUOTE=Solipso]
I believe that only
some designers, and therefore some games, rely on the save/load. Other designers do not think they are relying on it. They see it as a way for a player to take a break from the game at any time and to return to it from the point where he left off. How many designers and games deliberately rely on the save/load, and how many do not, I do not know. Certainly many players rely on it, I for one. And many players have abused it, as have I.
Yes, death must be a real threat, but you don't have to die. An important thing that makes real life interesting is the danger of death. Nevertheless, Mr. FriendoftheDork, have you lost interest in real life because you have never died? Do you need to be killed and resurrected in order to make your real-life accomplishments "that much sweeter?"
A game should be more than just a game. Especially for an RPG, a game should be an immersive experience. You should identify with your character. When your character dies, you die (vicariously). But when your character dies and the game forces
you to reload, the element of immersion is lost. You have failed because your character has died, and the game has failed too because the element of immersion has been interrupted. If the game were as immersive as possible, when you character dies it would be GAME OVER! No reloads. Sorry, bud, you'll have to buy another game.
When your character dies and the game requires you to reload, what was an experience has now become only a game, and you are just the same-old nobody, punching keys on a computer.
It's okay to break from a game because you need to work, get some exercise, eat, sleep, etc. You have not failed for that. You character is still living. But it's never okay for your character to die and for you to reload. That's just not entertaining.
In real life, nature convinces us that death is real. In a game, it is the responsibility of the designer to convince the player that death is real. Therefore the game world needs to be convincing. By the same token it is the responsibility of the designer to create a game that allows a reasonably intelligent, genuinely role-playing player to never have to feel the vicarious pangs of death (that is, the disappointment of reload) to be convinced that death is real.
[/QUOTE]
It's true, not all games rely on save/load. Just 90% of all RPGs and FPSs I've ever played. In any case, it's a significant amount and I for one don't think the option of loading contra always starting over if **** hits the fan improves the game. Now don't confuse this with RL. I don't want to do, and my character sure doesen't either. But as a player, I want to believe my character can die, and if I don't I might as well just turn on God mode and then get tired of playing in 15 minutes. You haved to seperate character and player, no matter of it's an rpg or even if you're just identifying with the main character of a movie.
I can understand how excessive death in this game can be tedious - the load screen get boring real fast if you get it two or three times in a row. But I'd rather load a few more times in the beginning to ensure that the game remain afterwards. A game where I never had to load once could be fun the first time through, but it would have zero replayability.
I don't need to die in real life. I need to fail though, at whatever I'm trying to, as long as there is a chance of picking up myself. I never want to get into a real life-or-death situation, because failing here there is no turning back - but luckily there is in a computer game. Thus I can enjoy exiting combat in games with no risk to myself.
In a normal RPG, when your character die you make a new one. Usually, there are new stories every week, so you don't lose out on much. In a CRPG this is inconvenient as there is only ONE storyline, and if you die and make a new game you have to play the entire game over again, which frankly is alot more boring than loading at some point and trying the part you had difficulty with again. The responsibiity of the game designer is simply to make an enjoyable game, and to do that you need to please everyone. The game can't be so hard that most gamers can't play the game through without cheating, yet it can't be so easy that better gamers get bored to quickly with it. Since it's impossible to make it perfect for everyone, some will find the game a bit too difficult while some will find it too easy. Thank god we have the save/load function so that the ones that think it too hard still can make it with some patience.
I have spoken. Ugh!
