Fake Difficulty
- Thread starter Netrigan
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You bastard, it's 1:30 am here, and you post a TvTropes link. Damn, time to break out the coffee, I'm going to be here for awhile...
I'd have to say that any FPS where they just up the damage you take and make the enemies sharpshooters with machine guns.
I'd have to say that any FPS where they just up the damage you take and make the enemies sharpshooters with machine guns.
I have something I call:
Insert Coin(s) to Continue difficulty- When an arcade game does cheap and unfair attacks that give the player unavoidable damage. Common examples of this include the final boss with superman levels of HP, who spams attacks as quick as the computer can do them. [footnote=1]Mortal Komabt's Shao Kahn and Mega Man's Air Man are good examples.[/footnote] It is also probably most prevalent in light gun games where a boss would send missiles that cover the entire screen, too many and too fast to shoot. To add even more salt to the would, or tokens to the machine, the boss commonly only appears on camera for just scant seconds, where players can only deal barely any damage even at the best aim and firing rate.[footnote=2]A year ago, the company my sister worked for held a party for employees and family, the venue was at an arcade they rented out and all the games had freeplay. I did something I never accomplished in childhood: beat the original House of the Dead. I did very well up until the end, where if not for the freeplay my new friend and I would have spent twenty dollars fighting the final boss known as the Magician for using this cheap business strategy. [/footnote] Within seconds the player(s) would be forced to insert coins to vacate their spot, for someone else willing to do the same. Thus ensuring the machine maximum profit.
Insert Coin(s) to Continue difficulty- When an arcade game does cheap and unfair attacks that give the player unavoidable damage. Common examples of this include the final boss with superman levels of HP, who spams attacks as quick as the computer can do them. [footnote=1]Mortal Komabt's Shao Kahn and Mega Man's Air Man are good examples.[/footnote] It is also probably most prevalent in light gun games where a boss would send missiles that cover the entire screen, too many and too fast to shoot. To add even more salt to the would, or tokens to the machine, the boss commonly only appears on camera for just scant seconds, where players can only deal barely any damage even at the best aim and firing rate.[footnote=2]A year ago, the company my sister worked for held a party for employees and family, the venue was at an arcade they rented out and all the games had freeplay. I did something I never accomplished in childhood: beat the original House of the Dead. I did very well up until the end, where if not for the freeplay my new friend and I would have spent twenty dollars fighting the final boss known as the Magician for using this cheap business strategy. [/footnote] Within seconds the player(s) would be forced to insert coins to vacate their spot, for someone else willing to do the same. Thus ensuring the machine maximum profit.
I never understood the purpose of RPGS and Auto-Leveling Enemies.
One of the pleasures of RPGS is the possibility of the grind. So, why make it a moot point if no matter how much work I put in, the same monsters that gave me trouble when I was level 16 will give me trouble when I'm level 50?
What I really hate is when Games Bend the rules to make you lose, and if anyone played the Left4Dead series, you know what I'm talking about.
-Computer controlled Special Infected somehow manage to punch or attack you while they are still in their stun animation (something you can NEVER do if you're controlling the Special Infected)
-Computer Controlled Chargers visibly changing direction of their charge to hit you. Or, they hit an object that would stop you in your tracks, but they run along side it to still hit you.
-I once Deadstopped (meleed a pouncing Hunter out of the air) a Computer Controlled Hunter out of the air and before it landed, it slashed me.
-Computer Controlled Special Infected being able to hit you with a melee attack before they even reach you.
-You are at least a few feet out of the Boomers projectile range, and the game decides to hit you anyway.
Seriously, I love plugging away at zombies, but it's a really freaking broken game.
... how the hell do zombies hit me with the same speed if I shot off one of their arms? Logic dictates I should have at least a few seconds more reprieve if said zombie swung at me with a phantom limb.
One of the pleasures of RPGS is the possibility of the grind. So, why make it a moot point if no matter how much work I put in, the same monsters that gave me trouble when I was level 16 will give me trouble when I'm level 50?
What I really hate is when Games Bend the rules to make you lose, and if anyone played the Left4Dead series, you know what I'm talking about.
-Computer controlled Special Infected somehow manage to punch or attack you while they are still in their stun animation (something you can NEVER do if you're controlling the Special Infected)
-Computer Controlled Chargers visibly changing direction of their charge to hit you. Or, they hit an object that would stop you in your tracks, but they run along side it to still hit you.
-I once Deadstopped (meleed a pouncing Hunter out of the air) a Computer Controlled Hunter out of the air and before it landed, it slashed me.
-Computer Controlled Special Infected being able to hit you with a melee attack before they even reach you.
-You are at least a few feet out of the Boomers projectile range, and the game decides to hit you anyway.
Seriously, I love plugging away at zombies, but it's a really freaking broken game.
... how the hell do zombies hit me with the same speed if I shot off one of their arms? Logic dictates I should have at least a few seconds more reprieve if said zombie swung at me with a phantom limb.
Not really so much the games bending rules but programming flaws. I know what you mean, as I've seen all of these before.ObsidianJones said:
In MMOs I hate enrage timers. It's a massive game design flaw when you have to put a time limit on bosses in order to restrict certain group compositions from being able to succeed.
In games like Kingdom Hearts I hate when enemies use their "I can't be staggered now" attacks. Basically you'll be unloading a combo into the enemy, each hit interrupts whatever they're trying to do and staggers them for a moment. But, then they pull out the attack that is immune to this. Your only course of action is to retreat until the attack animation is over. It's not fun. This especially becomes annoying when the attack comes at certain health intervals, ensuring that not only is the battle dragged out endlessly but the repetition boarders on tedious.
In games like Kingdom Hearts I hate when enemies use their "I can't be staggered now" attacks. Basically you'll be unloading a combo into the enemy, each hit interrupts whatever they're trying to do and staggers them for a moment. But, then they pull out the attack that is immune to this. Your only course of action is to retreat until the attack animation is over. It's not fun. This especially becomes annoying when the attack comes at certain health intervals, ensuring that not only is the battle dragged out endlessly but the repetition boarders on tedious.
Fucking Halo 2 Legandary.
I swear to god, Bungie specifically hired a guy who got payed by the insta-kill sniper. It was just ridicules. Every single fucking room had at least 3.
I swear to god, Bungie specifically hired a guy who got payed by the insta-kill sniper. It was just ridicules. Every single fucking room had at least 3.
Only 1.5hrs? You got off easyHassEsser said:
I specifically didn't click the link because I knew I wouldn't leave for at least 4hrs - happens every time
Two things that bother me the most:
-health variance, whether it's giving you a lot less of it or giving enemies a lot more without any other changes in gameplay to increase difficulty
-RNG. Just RNG. What's that you say? Your sniper unit has 97% accuracy from that hiding spot? Awesome! *miss miss miss miss miss glancing shot* -.-
-health variance, whether it's giving you a lot less of it or giving enemies a lot more without any other changes in gameplay to increase difficulty
-RNG. Just RNG. What's that you say? Your sniper unit has 97% accuracy from that hiding spot? Awesome! *miss miss miss miss miss glancing shot* -.-
The only thing that really frustrates me to no end in games are impossible timing.
Let me explain; you're playing, say, Mirror's Edge, and you're running from a SWAT squad that has artillery that can turn you into swiss cheese if you stay for more than half a second. You're put in front of one of those air vents you either hade to go under, or jump over - and you accidentally press the wrong button, or time it only a second off, you get hold up for 5 seconds trying to get over it, and you die.
Have to restart level from last save.
Frustration.
I still love Mirror's Edge, and this might not completely apply to it, but I mean any game where one little mess up can cost you 50% of your health and(for me) slight panic, it's extremely frustrating. Games with a flow, should keep a flow, and not ruin it by taking overly long to recover.
Let me explain; you're playing, say, Mirror's Edge, and you're running from a SWAT squad that has artillery that can turn you into swiss cheese if you stay for more than half a second. You're put in front of one of those air vents you either hade to go under, or jump over - and you accidentally press the wrong button, or time it only a second off, you get hold up for 5 seconds trying to get over it, and you die.
Have to restart level from last save.
Frustration.
I still love Mirror's Edge, and this might not completely apply to it, but I mean any game where one little mess up can cost you 50% of your health and(for me) slight panic, it's extremely frustrating. Games with a flow, should keep a flow, and not ruin it by taking overly long to recover.
Rubberband AI.
Screw you, Mario Kart! SCREEEEEEEEEEW YOOUUUUUUUUU!
Then regular old cheating...
"Hey... Wario got a ten. Again. Big surprise."
Mario Party are the seriously worst offender in the fake difficulty category. I hate that game so much it isn't funny!
Screw you, Mario Kart! SCREEEEEEEEEEW YOOUUUUUUUUU!
Then regular old cheating...
"Hey... Wario got a ten. Again. Big surprise."
Mario Party are the seriously worst offender in the fake difficulty category. I hate that game so much it isn't funny!
Either bad controls or the bad camera is the worst offender.
Both ruin the interface between the game and the player and get in the way of everything else that may be happening in the game.
The only thing in the list I don't really mind is cheating bastard AI, aslong as the game is upfront about the handicaps (in the game manual for example) and does NOT have "non-cheating AI" as a false selling point (GalCiv2).
Both ruin the interface between the game and the player and get in the way of everything else that may be happening in the game.
The only thing in the list I don't really mind is cheating bastard AI, aslong as the game is upfront about the handicaps (in the game manual for example) and does NOT have "non-cheating AI" as a false selling point (GalCiv2).
I actually found dead space, while entertaining, not scary. It relied on jump scares which actually bore me a fair bit. Which is why I found the resident evil thing was scarier, because in the dead space developers own words "Big thrown punches aren't scary, but have to stop and unlock a car, fiddle with a keys, doing something with precision, that's scary".pretentiousname01 said:
Its not a direct quote and its been a while, but that's the gist of it. To stop that big guy you had to stop running, turn around, carefully take aim, made you look at your enemy. To me, that's more horrifying
But at the same time the last 1/2 of re5 became a bad cover based action game.dogstile said:
I put most of the blame on 5. It was the first on the new generation. It could have updated itself but didn't.
It's been so long since I played it, I can't recall.Zeithri said:
But going through TV Tropes, I came to remember how often that game resorted to fake difficulty. There's the level where you have to escort the suicidal droid, who charges down a corridor filled with trip bombs. Then there's the stealth mission. Sniper Alley.
It's a good game, but instead of making the game properly hard, they just kind of bullshit it.
I'd have to say stuff llike where in the first Assassin's Creed if you're running from enemies and SOMEHOW automatically climb a wall you weren't even looking at! This also happened to me a lot in Prototype, where I'd be running to go regen, and I'd accidentally run up a wall straight into the missile I just dodged.
Not sure if they changed it, but Need for Speed used to cheat *really* badly. If you got X meters ahead, your AI opponents would teleport forward. IT wasn't even subtle - one moment, you're half a lap ahead, the next, they're scraping your rear bumper.