Poll: Random Encounters vs Known Encounters in JRPGs

[RJ 17]

Just a quick poll to get a tap on the public opinion around here.

When playing a JRPG, what kind of battle system to you prefer?

Random Encounters: you don't see the enemy and are just sucked into a battle at random.

Known Encounters (for lack of a better term...at least to my knowledge): you see the enemy and run up to them to engage in combat.

Generally speaking, Random Encounters are something much more predominant in JRPGs rather than Western RPGs, as such the poll is regarding JRPGs only.

Please feel free to explain the reasons behind your preference.

 

[duwenbasden]

Known encounters only, because there is no such thing as "have a little stroll" when random encounter throws all the relaxation out the window. Sometimes I really, really don't want to fight anyone.

Also, planning doesn't work for random encounters.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Known Encounters. I almost can't play most games with random encounters these days, because it makes getting anywhere so time-consuming. Sure I was okay with it ten years ago, but I prefer Known in every way. Not even Final Fantasy does Random any more- it's an old-school memory limitation we're well rid of.

Now if we can just get rid of battle transitions I think a lot more people would be able to enjoy JRPGs.

 

[Auron225]

Definitely Known.

I can stomach random encounters but it's a bit jarring to be casually strolling down a scenic road with lovely music playing in the background... and then WHAM! You're staring at 3 wolves and a yeti is punching you in the face!!

With Known, you can try and avoid enemies if it is really inconvenient to currently fight and that itself adds another element of gameplay. Also, it feels more like you and your enemy are both engaging in combat as opposed to getting mugged.

 

[SoreWristed]

Known.

If my guy's healthbar is plinking on it's last few pixels, i want to run out of there, avoiding all combat obviously. Having some random encounter destroy me because it got first attack, or because my dude seems incapable of running away from the most slow ass creatures in the world, is just the worst.

Besides, it takes an element of stealth to avoid encounters. With random encounters it takes an element of statistics and invisible math.

 

[Mister K]

I prefer "known" encounters. I can't count how many times I've sighed when I had to fight ANOTHER bunch of random dudes when I only wanted to get the save point because I hadn't had any time to play anymore.

I wish that all JRPG's would go with known-encounter route, BUT with a small territory in each world location where random encouters ARE present, because sometimes you just want to grind to get a bit more ready for the boss.

Or hell, go Persona 3 and 4 way and make it so that all non-boss encouters are random, but you can avoid them if you wish too.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

Known - for the reasons I described elsewhere: randoms tend to be right bloody annoying (especially if it's a high frequency), for one, but what's worse is that they yank agency away from the player. Visible encounters you have a chance of evading means the player has more of an input into the pacing of exploration.

If an area needs more badguys'n'battles? Up the number of roaming enemy, essentially funneling the player into more frequent encounters. That feels contextually appropriate.

By comparison, the 'loop' of Screen warp!/Battle, Screen warp!/Battle, Screen warp!/Battle... is intrusive, and the player has no means of engaging with that design mechanic. At times there can be a tension about exploration, but it's a remarkably lazy and simplistic means of generating that.

I wish that all JRPG's would go with known-encounter route, BUT with a small territory in each world location where random encouters ARE present, because sometimes you just want to grind to get a bit more ready for the boss.

I'm not sure about grinding being the reason, but yeah, there's no reason why certain modes of play within the same game can't feature them. Although I'm struggling to think how that could be represented, as in; you can't have the same field exploration view, and have most areas feature visible encounters, then just go random for some other areas - there's no consistency in that design and it'd just feel completely arbitrary.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

I definitely prefer known. Especially since most fights with common enemies you'd probably win without breaking a sweat, so it just becomes busywork and having to wait for the animations and menu selections as you mindlessly select the fastest option to dispatch them.

I'll let someone more knowledgeable correct me on this, but aren't "random encounters" just another one of those things originally forced by hardware limitations which became enshrined as the Most Holy Tradition even as hardware evolved to a point where less tedious systems are possible?

Because I'm a stickler, I'll also complain about a specific kind of known encounters I'm not a big fan of. The "constant spawn points" system, where every area will respawn monsters on the same spots every time you enter it, and have them wait around for you to fight or provoke them. I'll rather have creatures patrol the areas, spawn in different spots or in different combinations... You know, throw in some variety!

 

[lechat]

I think we can all agree that chrono trigger and later xenoblade chronicles done battles right.

for the most part the monsters are there right in front of you, you can see them and go around and in xenoblade you can even run away if you get agro but some encounters are forced.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Known encounters. Random encounters are by far the thing I hate most about JRPG's.
That, and endless grinding. Grinding is frustrating.

I wish that all JRPG's would go with known-encounter route, BUT with a small territory in each world location where random encouters ARE present, because sometimes you just want to grind to get a bit more ready for the boss.

Chrono Trigger is OK for that. Most fights you can see coming (though some enemies jump out at you from offscreen). However they respawn endlessly in some areas, so if you really want to grind, there's nothing stopping you.

 

[Mister K]

Snip.

Well, take Persona 3 and 4 for example. When you are in the dungeon, the only enemies you see are, basically, big purple goos. But once you interact with them, you are moved to, um, battle zone, common to all JRPGs with random encouters, and you fight a random monster, be it demon, or dragon, or something else. What if in an area leading to a boss you encounter as many "represantations" of random enemy as developer thinks you'll need to defeat the boss, with such encounters never appearing again, but this area also has, for example, a forest, where representations are in infinite numbers?

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Known encounters, as they usually progress the story.
But I don't mind having random encounters either.

Also, does an encounter where you're hunting a certain pokemon that just keeps moving around the map count as as random or known?

 

[Strazdas]

Known encounters for me because i like to plan and know things. i hate not being in control of my game.

 

[DarkishFriend]

To all those lovers of known encounters in JRPGs play Bravely Default. Game has a difficulty slider that can go from 0% - 200% encounter rates. Totally fixes the bullshit that is random encounters and makes exploring the dungeon to find the hidden stuff a joy instead of a annoying long task.

 

[Olympion]

To all those lovers of known encounters in JRPGs play Bravely Default. Game has a difficulty slider that can go from 0% - 200% encounter rates. Totally fixes the bullshit that is random encounters and makes exploring the dungeon to find the hidden stuff a joy instead of a annoying long task.

Yeah, I loved that feature in Bravely Default, it enables both relaxing exploration AND effective grinding depending on what the player feels like at the moment.

 

[Story]

Known encounters by far, random encounters just feel like padding.

 

[That1Guy]

I voted Known Encounters, but I honestly don't mind random encounters when they only take place in designated areas and can be mostly avoid. Like how in Pokemon you can use Cut outside of battle to get rid of Tall Grass and can use repels to avoid encounters in caves.

 

[Kotaro]

Actually, I don't really have a preference. It depends on the game, as either style can be done well or poorly.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

What if in an area leading to a boss you encounter as many "represantations" of random enemy as developer thinks you'll need to defeat the boss, with such encounters never appearing again, but this area also has, for example, a forest, where representations are in infinite numbers?

Yeah, that system could work - even if I wouldn't personally like it, as it feels so abstract. The game itself would need to be able to stylistically or thematically absorb (for want of a better word) that very game-y concept, so as to not seem jarring.

 

[ChaoshadowZero]

I'm ok with random, but I'll have to go with known. I've been playing a lot of Xenoblade recently, and it's nice to see an enemy and be able to prepare before I fight it.