Does anyone actually like random battles in RPGs?

[mjp19xx]

I used to be really into JRPGs, but even then I always hated random battles. I now almost exclusively play western style RPGs where this is not an issue. The Japanese do luckily seem to be coming around, but that won't change the fact that JRPGs are very linear and essentially contain no real role playing sadly.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I don't have a problem with random battles. If used well they can keep the pace of the game interesting. They aren't especially realistic, but neither are multiple groups of enemies in an area who ignore you until you get within spitting distance then fight you one group at a time.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Boy, it's a good thing there's a genre that doesn't have random battles like those darn JRPGs. Naturally, the Tales series, Eternal Sonata, Baten Kaitos, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana belong to their own genre.

And, for the love of god, I really think we should come up with a new label. So "JRPGs" don't have a lot of role-playing and are linear. So what? That describes most games.

 

[tk1989]

It can depend... I always hated dungeons for example, or caves, where you could enter a random battle at any moment in time. It just seemed really arbitrary and like it was just making the game longer and more boring just so the game can say "over 500 hours of gameplay" on the back of the box... I always liked the pokemon technique to things, the long grass idea. You aren't always being threatened, but my god there is a lot of grass! It seemed to keep the game balanced more than anything, and if you really couldn't be assed with random fights there was generally a way out or around them.

 

[Ushario]

Boy, it's a good thing there's a genre that doesn't have random battles like those darn JRPGs. Naturally, the Tales series, Eternal Sonata, Baten Kaitos, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana belong to their own genre.

And, for the love of god, I really think we should come up with a new label. So "JRPGs" don't have a lot of role-playing and are linear. So what? That describes most games.

Typical fanboy. Most JRPGs do contain random encounters, so when speaking of JRPGs as a genre, we will speak of what the prevailing traits within that genre are.

 

[Spinozaad]

Battles in REAL rpg's, like Baldur's Gate, aren't random.

So no, I don't like random battles. Then again, I don't play "roleplaying games" that portray teenagers with stupid spiky hair, oversized swords and a girl who looks like she's twelve BUT IS REALLY 18 OR 21, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Boy, it's a good thing there's a genre that doesn't have random battles like those darn JRPGs. Naturally, the Tales series, Eternal Sonata, Baten Kaitos, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana belong to their own genre.

And, for the love of god, I really think we should come up with a new label. So "JRPGs" don't have a lot of role-playing and are linear. So what? That describes most games.

Typical fanboy. Most JRPGs do contain random encounters, so when speaking of JRPGs as a genre, we will speak of what the prevailing traits within that genre are.

Objection, I'm an atypical fanboy. When a prevailing trait has a negative connotation, that connotation has a distressing tendency to be carried over to games that don't possess that trait.

I also have to question just how prevailing it is when it doesn't appear in the aforementioned six or seven games (more if you include all of the Tales games), along with Persona 3 and 4, Grandia, Xenosaga, Earthbound, The World Ends With You, Paper Mario, Saga Frontier, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, and Valkyrie Profile. Random encounters show up in a lot of games, but not enough to condemn everything in the genre.

 

[Bane_Star]

There are only Two choices a programmer makes:

Linear Story, with pre-placed Monsters. the entire map, is stored in memory.

Random encounters, meant to represent the encounter of a creature thats not integral to the plot, are usually based on your level so you are not severely hampered.

The Third Plausible choice is currently impossible to impliment. All creatures in the entire world are organised and placed, but an internal AI controls their movements and when you come across a creature, its because its Actually there at that exact time. This means you would encounter creatures of any possible level, at any given time, if your in the wrong place. It would be a great game, but as I said, impossible to impliment yet. (p.s. I'm working on it)

 

[NeutralDrow]

The Third Plausible choice is currently impossible to impliment. All creatures in the entire world are organised and placed, but an internal AI controls their movements and when you come across a creature, its because its Actually there at that exact time. This means you would encounter creatures of any possible level, at any given time, if your in the wrong place. It would be a great game, but as I said, impossible to impliment yet. (p.s. I'm working on it)

Isn't that basically an MMO?

 

[tk1989]

The Third Plausible choice is currently impossible to impliment. All creatures in the entire world are organised and placed, but an internal AI controls their movements and when you come across a creature, its because its Actually there at that exact time. This means you would encounter creatures of any possible level, at any given time, if your in the wrong place. It would be a great game, but as I said, impossible to impliment yet. (p.s. I'm working on it)

Isn't that basically an MMO?

sounds like wow to me

 

[mjp19xx]

Boy, it's a good thing there's a genre that doesn't have random battles like those darn JRPGs. Naturally, the Tales series, Eternal Sonata, Baten Kaitos, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana belong to their own genre.

And, for the love of god, I really think we should come up with a new label. So "JRPGs" don't have a lot of role-playing and are linear. So what? That describes most games.

I did point out that not all JRPGs have random battles.

I have to agree with your second point to a certain extent. They should not be considered RPGs. I might even play them more if there was not so much boring repetitive filler in them. I will spare some of those that have a nice action based or strategy based combat system that can be fun. If they are going to go on story don't make me spend hours doing other repetitive tasks. If you are going to make me spend time doing other things, make it enjoyable. I have played many JRPGs, and this simple problem often caused me to quit half way through. I love Persona 3, but I have spent a good year working on completing the game, because the combat bores me to tears, and you have to level grind to a certain extent. I want to finish the game, but I never want to see Tartarus again.

 

[Overlord_Dave]

I've never enjoyed random battles, except if they're really quick. It always seems like I'm heading somewhere in a hurry and just before I'm out of the battle zone I get attacked, like the game itself is trying to piss me off.

In basically agree with everything mjp19xx said in the first post

 

[NeutralDrow]

Boy, it's a good thing there's a genre that doesn't have random battles like those darn JRPGs. Naturally, the Tales series, Eternal Sonata, Baten Kaitos, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana belong to their own genre.

And, for the love of god, I really think we should come up with a new label. So "JRPGs" don't have a lot of role-playing and are linear. So what? That describes most games.

I did point out that not all JRPGs have random battles.

Sorry. Wasn't quite sure how to interpret "the Japanese seem to be coming around." Especially since a lot of the things I mentioned came out in 2002 and before.

I have to agree with your second point to a certain extent. They should not be considered RPGs. I might even play them more if there was not so much boring repetitive filler in them. I will spare some of those that have a nice action based or strategy based combat system that can be fun. If they are going to go on story don't make me spend hours doing other repetitive tasks. If you are going to make me spend time doing other things, make it enjoyable. I have played many JRPGs, and this simple problem often caused me to quit half way through. I love Persona 3, but I have spent a good year working on completing the game, because the combat bores me to tears, and you have to level grind to a certain extent. I want to finish the game, but I never want to see Tartarus again.

Ah. My point was something completely different. I was trying to say that calling them "Japanese Role-Playing Games" is a misnomer, and people seem to use that as a false advertising complaint about the genre since few of them let you make your own character. However, since a lot of them do come from Japan and they do possess a lot of traditional computer and console RPG elements, I'm at a loss for a different term.

Then again, I'm also at a loss to why people don't consider controlling a lead character to be playing a role, but that's another point entirely.

 

[Ultress]

I'll just say they annoy me but are never game breaking for me as long as the encounter rate isn't crazy high. I like having enenmies on screen but it doesn't bother me too bad either way.

 

[DM.]

Allow me to demonstrate how much I hate random battles.


SDJLSDFKLJMNOWRHELSUTGHWRVEUTJCPGHMWEPIOGHSDOIH!

 

[Spirultima]

Yes, i love them, for the simple reason that you can fight infinite enemies in a small room, but if it was the "all action" crap you would have 2-3 at most.

 

[Spirultima]

Allow me to demonstrate how much I hate random battles.


SDJLSDFKLJMNOWRHELSUTGHWRVEUTJCPGHMWEPIOGHSDOIH!

Allow me to demonstrate my confusion...

What?

 

[Sir Ollie]

Yes and no, I enjoy it some times but when i'm in a rush you get random battles with the same fucking enemies!

No just no bad game! i play you for fun, not to make me fight a imp 70 times in a row.

 

[Magugag]

There are some places where random battles really work for me, especially when I'm working towards a level goal with my character. Backtracking to make a ton of enemies respawn sucks, for instance. It's not realistic, but I still for the most part like the way it works.