Poll: achivement systems

[Robby Foxfur]

Ok so there are quiet a few achievement systems out there today, Steam, PSN, and the famous Xbox LIVE. they are they to the bane of delight of all the players out there, and now it seems we can add 1 more to the list, Ubisoft as released a new system called U Play http://uplay.us.ubi.com this system is only on Ubisoft games of course.

I bring this up for a few reasons, 1 why the hell is this needed? 2 Are all devs gonna do this? are we as gamers gonna be signing up for account after account for all these systems? 3 would you members of the escapist like to see a universal system for everything? if so what are the features you'd like in it?

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

Well I said LIVE because it's the only one I have. Also, I think it was the first so it gets pioneer points. Yes, I would like a universal system. I am obsessed with achievements and wish I could just have a lifescore that awards me for doing all kinds of things. I'm not mad.

 

[Kiefer13]

I'm going to say Steam because it's the only one I use, and because the achievements aren't particularly intrusive.

I don't really care much for achievements in general really. I mean it's nice when you unlock them, but I don't actively strive for them and achievement whores who prioritise them over actually playing the game for fun just irritate me.

 

[Ironic]

I have live and steam, and i'm pretty sure its been around for awhile, what with in-game unlocks and stuff.

Why do you hate it so much? It can just give you something to aim for if you get bored of a game, for instance, i'd rather that the game tell me when i'v found the last agility orb rather than look FOREVER, constantly thinking there's one left.

How is it any different from playing with a friend,

"Bet you can't jump over that."
"Oh, it's on."

*hilarious competition ensues*

 

[DazZ.]

I like Steams achievement system, as it's not in your face and doesn't define your profile.

Also games can have as many (or few) achievements as they want without being limited to however many points.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

I'd care more about achievements if they had some tangible in-game impact, but most don't, so I can't be bothered with them - either I'll get them or I won't.

The problem with all achievement systems is the same one you'll find on any forum that displays post counts and awards titles based on them - some people will then go to ridiculous lengths to make their numbers/titles higher by posting rubbish everywhere they can, and the fun little extra feature intended to simply be an added bonus to the main event (posting things on a forum, playing games) takes over as the driving reason people are posting or playing, because if the numbers are higher that means you're more awesome then all the people with low numbers!!!1!eleventy!!

Or to put it succinctly - it's not the achievement systems, it's the idiots who use them that annoy us naysayers.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Achievements.

Never asked for them, don't care about them.

 

[dududf]

I chose steam due to me only having it, and thus biased.

As to the "need" of achievements, it gives devs a way to squeeze out a couple more hours of gameplay into the game, before calling it finished.

I never asked for them, nor do I really care about them, but I do get a little happy when I hear *Ding* and see I got the achievement for headshotting a pouncing hunter, when I was randomly fired into the distance with my pistol.

 

[geddydisciple]

While i prefer Steam over Live (PC gamer here) My achievments constantly get erased and reset for no reason. So i'm gonna have to go with Live for the best achievment system

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Why the hell is this needed??

Why not? General rule is that it's good to win. The little stamps offer players extra incentive to attempt challenges or play a bit more creatively.

Though honestly, the spirit behind them is often lost on most players. Rather than actually play the game to earn them, they'll just join some achievement farm to get whatever points/bonuses they have. Worse yet, games more often hand out achievements for the stupidest things. Kill 20 guys without dying: Challenge. Play a map: Asinine.

Personally, I like a well done system (Steam for TF2 comes to mind, or at least did when I played.) I do like getting achievements, but I always do it the legitimate way.

 

[SantoUno]

None, they are all equal, they are all achievements and thus should not be compared and ensue wars.

Personally I like how LIVE and PSN's achievements add up to an overall score (Lv for PSN, GS for XBL) so people can quickly see how much you have played a game. Don't know anything about Steam's achievement system.

 

[Zacharine]

None. Why would I want other people to see what games I play or how much of a game I have completed? What business does someone I've never met face-to-face have that could possibly require knowing stuff like that? If someone is so interested in my gaming habits, the least they can do is write me an e-mail and then get ignored as a freaky stalker or a representative of an ad-company wanting to make my life hell with pop-up windows and spam-mails. Because no-one else could possibly care less or we talk about games over beer. You know, actual human contact with small talk and all that.

And no, I do not measure my manliness by the size of my iD*** like some seem to when they list their achievements or scores and whatever. Why anyone would is beyond me. Sure, I can appreciate some useless hard work and give props for something like attempting to complete Diablo 2 without killing anyone but the required bosses, but almost no achievement really requires that level of single-minded dedication. And if one does, then I'll be the one seeking out those rare individuals.

So by this point you should know what I think about Facebook and Twitter-like systems and online accomplishments.

P.s. On my comp no game ever gets access beyond my firewall unless it is to download a patch or the rare multiplayer. A game requires Windows Live profile? Cracked exe, here we come, because such a game has zero reason to connect to the 'net and I refuse to play into this 'online 24/7' BS we're being fed. If I buy a game for single-player, then it bloody well better run if I decide to unhook my ethernet cable. If it doesn't, then it gets hacked; I bought the game, hence I have the right to play it and copy-protection that requires online connection will just have to sit in the corner and weep as it gets totally ignored and circumvented purely out of spite and principle.

 

[TZer0]

Live is creating a problem more than anything else. Why? Because it makes people play games which are horrible just for the achievements, thus encouraging devs to pour out more bad games because they'll know that as long as they add tons of achievements, they'll be fine.

 

[ItsAPaul]

I never pay attention to them, since I don't care if I have more useless points than someone else.

 

[Woodsey]

360 achievements, but I voted Steam because it is sooooooooooo much better.

 

[reg42]

They're practically the same

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I prefer live just because of the general setup with the gamercard and score and everything. i dont have a playstation but trophies were clearly a rip off of achievements and i find almost all of steams achievements very glitchy and i dont strive for them so they dont interest me.

 

[Spaghetti]

I like steam's. It's just a little box in the corner and a fun little picture.

There aren't any numbers or anything like Gamer-scores that people can judge me on.

 

[Lambi]

I only have PSN, but I couldn't care less about the trophies. Yes, when I get my first trophie in a game I like to look at the rest and see if I can do anything else at the moment I'm playing. After that, I ususally just get them randomly when I play the games that have trophies.

Edit: But if you count them, the badges on the Escapist are sort of fun to collect.

 

[Haunted Serenity]

I have live and steam, and i'm pretty sure its been around for awhile, what with in-game unlocks and stuff.

Why do you hate it so much? It can just give you something to aim for if you get bored of a game, for instance, i'd rather that the game tell me when i'v found the last agility orb rather than look FOREVER, constantly thinking there's one left.

How is it any different from playing with a friend,

"Bet you can't jump over that."
"Oh, it's on."

*hilarious competition ensues*

pretty much this as i see the achivements as a thing my friends try to do together when we can just to take away from the game. After we beat the game so now what? he lets try to grab all of the achievements! Yeah and last one buys drinks!

26hrs later. I win!