Poll: Achievements and Trophies. Do you even care?

[Tayh]

I only care if they provide tangible benefits, like the achievements in Mass Effect or Fallout: NV.

Can you detail what these particular benefits were? Was is specific to that particular game or was it a certain type of achievement? Thanks!

I can't remember the exact details, but it went something like, kill 600 enemies with X weapon, recieve permanent +5% damage with X weapon.
Ah, I just found a Mass Effect wikia:
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Achievements

 

[FinalFreak16]

I only care if they provide tangible benefits, like the achievements in Mass Effect or Fallout: NV.

Can you detail what these particular benefits were? Was is specific to that particular game or was it a certain type of achievement? Thanks!

I can't remember the exact details, but it went something like, kill 600 enemies with X weapon, recieve permanent +5% damage with X weapon.
Ah, I just found a Mass Effect wikia:
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Achievements

Ahh tangible gameplay benefits tied to the achievement system. (Having not played ME3 yet i was unaware of this) Thats quite an interesting way to improve upon the current system.

 

[Tayh]

Ahh tangible gameplay benefits tied to the achievement system. (Having not played ME3 yet i was unaware of this) Thats quite an interesting way to improve upon the current system.

I wouldn't say they were an improvement, per se, but they were nice to have nonetheless. I would rather not see games require of me to achieve certain trophies just to beat the game.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Achievements aren't for us tbh they are for developers to have more effective market research. For example they can see how many people finished a game if they bothered getting certain items or what skills and quests were the most popular.

We are just helping them to have an idea of how their game is played.

This is another topic I have looked into and there is certainly evidence that achievements are an effective market research tool. however I would also argue that, if designed correctly, achievements can potentially increase the players overall enjoyment of the game. For example some achievements promote an optional playstyle that you may not have thought of previously, or an achievement might hint at the existence of something you might have missed playing normally.

Oh of course their entertainment value is a side effect but that only makes them more effective at doing their job. I would agree with you in that they can be game changing. I wouldn't have known you could do the whole of Deus Ex: HR without hurting anyone without the achievement and I had a lot more fun as a result.

I think it's a great idea that, in the most part, it benefits both the player and the developer.

 

[xdom125x]

I like achievements, but they create a bit of a problem for me. It makes me view games that I play on my 360 differently than the ones I play on my Wii. I play my Wii games with the mindset of "this is supposed to be fun", while I play my 360 games with the mindset of "Look at all the random crap I am going to have to do while trying to have fun" because I really like to 100% games. Also, online multiplayer achievements piss me off because your ability to get it is shear luck half of the time and so I don't even bother with those. If somebody were to look at the games that I have all the achievements for, they'd notice they were all single-player games because of that. Achievements can be a fun way to extend your enjoyment of a game, but if it is implemented poorly it turns the games into work.

 

[Epona]

StarCraft 2 uses achievements to change how you play a mission and leads to a completely different experience.

I don't understand. Oblivion's level scaling or The Last Remnants Battle Rank encouraged players to "game the system" which is usually the opposite of how people WANT to play. Achievements doing the same thing are just as annoying.

 

[babinro]

StarCraft 2 uses achievements to change how you play a mission and leads to a completely different experience.

I don't understand. Oblivion's level scaling or The Last Remnants Battle Rank encouraged players to "game the system" which is usually the opposite of how people WANT to play. Achievements doing the same thing are just as annoying.

What you're saying is true if your goal is to unlock all achievements in a game.

I look at it as the game giving hinting at another way to play it. Perhaps forcing me to learn something that I never would have considered without the achievement. If I don't want to play the game that way, I'm not punished for skipping over that achievement.

Where as if an achievement compliments my playstyle but simply asks me to take it to an extreme. (IE: Own every property in Fable 2), the sense of accomplishment feels forced rather than earned.

 

[FinalFreak16]

I look at it as the game giving hinting at another way to play it. Perhaps forcing me to learn something that I never would have considered without the achievement. If I don't want to play the game that way, I'm not punished for skipping over that achievement.

Where as if an achievement compliments my playstyle but simply asks me to take it to an extreme. (IE: Own every property in Fable 2), the sense of accomplishment feels forced rather than earned.

To say that your sense of accomplishment feels forced is an interesting comment. Something I havnt yet considered. Would you say that you feel a higher sense of accomplishment with self set targets then you would with those provided by the game through its achievement system?

 

[babinro]

I look at it as the game giving hinting at another way to play it. Perhaps forcing me to learn something that I never would have considered without the achievement. If I don't want to play the game that way, I'm not punished for skipping over that achievement.

Where as if an achievement compliments my playstyle but simply asks me to take it to an extreme. (IE: Own every property in Fable 2), the sense of accomplishment feels forced rather than earned.

To say that your sense of accomplishment feels forced is an interesting comment. Something I havnt yet considered. Would you say that you feel a higher sense of accomplishment with self set targets then you would with those provided by the game through its achievement system?

Absolutely.

Though I remember setting game goals for myself mentally back in the NES, SNES days before achievements or trophies existed. I assume many of us did this to some degree. Be it reaching Level 99 in a Final Fantasy game or trying to beat Super Mario 3 without P-wings.

These days if I see the achievement for Level 99 in an RPG it no longer feels special. That once special self driven goal now feels like it's expected of me. Thus diminishing some of the enjoyment while bringing to the forefront the fact that this will be a grind.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Only when they promote fun or creative goals. Some of TF2's achievements are really fun to get, for example. Valve games in general have plenty of entertaining achievements to get. Remember this little fellow?

Oh yeah.

But most of the cookie cutter ones? Nah, I won't bother.

 

[Shrapenel92]

I like them, I find they give me a reason to go back to a game and find all the hidden things, or play in a certain way. Also the bragging rights of having more achievements or a higher score works to promote a little healthy competition I just wish Steam would adopt a points system for achievements!

 

[Jynthor]

In single player games I don't actively try to get them anymore and stopped caring about them. It's easy to ignore them in this case, however in MMO's I really hate them, since achievements are not shared on your account but separate per character, because of this making alts is a real pain.

 

[DementedSheep]

I like them and I do them if I feel like doing them. They can extend the life of a game, provide extra challenge and it can be fun trying to get them. I don?t really care about the achievements themselves or points tho. If its tedious without being challenging, requires me to play a mode I don?t like or in a way that I don?t find fun I won?t bother...well usually, if it?s the last one I might.

 

[Something Amyss]

Did the survey.

I liked 100%ing games before trophies and achievements were a thing. At least, a standard thing. I treat achievements like any other part of the game to complete.

Unless they're online (I tend to care less) or stupid/out of my league.

 

[Epona]

I only care if they provide tangible benefits, like the achievements in Mass Effect or Fallout: NV.

Can you detail what these particular benefits were? Was is specific to that particular game or was it a certain type of achievement? Thanks!

I can't remember the exact details, but it went something like, kill 600 enemies with X weapon, recieve permanent +5% damage with X weapon.
Ah, I just found a Mass Effect wikia:
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Achievements

Since Achievements are permanent and not repeatable, how would that work on subsequent playthoughs.

 

[Dr. Dice Lord]

I like having them but I rarely feel obligated to get them, or to "1000/1000" games on a 360. I just play to enjoy the game, PC or console. Occasionally if I find an achievement that's fun I'll give it a go, like the "fight 20 guards for 5 minutes" one in Assassin's Creed 1, it was surprisingly easy at the endgame.

Aside from that, I could take them or leave them.

 

[unstabLized]

Usually when i get them, I just go "Oh.. Cool." *Keeps on playing*. I don't really care for em, but I guess they make you feel a bit good?

 

[leady129]

I am a bit of a trophy whore myself. My friend and I have a friendly competition going as we try to out do each others PSN score.
Having said that, going for the platinum is generally something I'll just do on a game I really enjoyed but it can be a fun way to extend the experience a few more hours.

 

[Vankraken]

Personally i like achievements that highlight non standard game play, easter eggs, or a challenge that is beyond the normal game play experience. The more traditional achivements for beating the game, completing a quest line, milestones, etc are fine but never something i really care about.

Making achievements that promote a harder or different play styles can actually be a good tool to increase the replay value of a game.