The Obligatory Lose Your Powers Mission
- Thread starter DeathWyrmNexus
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True but doesn't it get kinda old after a while? Couldn't they spend that time writing something new if you are just going to start over again anyway? *shot for blasphemy*samaritan.squirrel said:
This was my main thought, as gimping the player is NEVER fun. It's like putting out a delicious rack of perfect BBQ ribs, letting the player eat the first bone and taste the succulent meat of the game, then taking the ribs away and making people eat dry white toast for a level.Island said:
The "Lose Your Powers" Mission is basically a stall tactic, but there is more to it than that.
I would theorise that the reason why such missions occur in games is because of demos. The demo of a game is traditionally the first mission, and with such demos developers often want to impress people with all the abilities you get later in the game. So they can either spoil a sequence later in the game, or they can make you get all those abilities in the opening sequence, then find some excuse to lose them.
Neither is a great option, but quite frankly, I think I'm speaking for most of the gaming community when I say that I'd rather there be no demo at all than suffering through this crap.
And if not that, then just spoil a later fight sequence with the demo. No one usually minds if it's just gameplay getting spoiled, since that's partly in control of the player anyway. That also means taking it light on cutscenes, though, which isn't in the developer's best advertising interests. Considering that, I don't think the tradition of such missions will die anytime soon, sadly.
Metroid Prime has such a mission, and it wasn't so unrealistic in how you lose powers, but it was weird and felt artificial getting new powers before you restored all the old ones.
I would theorise that the reason why such missions occur in games is because of demos. The demo of a game is traditionally the first mission, and with such demos developers often want to impress people with all the abilities you get later in the game. So they can either spoil a sequence later in the game, or they can make you get all those abilities in the opening sequence, then find some excuse to lose them.
Neither is a great option, but quite frankly, I think I'm speaking for most of the gaming community when I say that I'd rather there be no demo at all than suffering through this crap.
And if not that, then just spoil a later fight sequence with the demo. No one usually minds if it's just gameplay getting spoiled, since that's partly in control of the player anyway. That also means taking it light on cutscenes, though, which isn't in the developer's best advertising interests. Considering that, I don't think the tradition of such missions will die anytime soon, sadly.
You said it first. Assassin's Creed wasted everyone's time by teasing us with full abilities then taking them away. What really annoyed me about it, personally, was that they weren't even all abilities that required the items you lost. Altair just "forgets" them because he's gone down in rank. I found that really lame.DrunkWithPower said:
Metroid Prime has such a mission, and it wasn't so unrealistic in how you lose powers, but it was weird and felt artificial getting new powers before you restored all the old ones.
Assassin's Creed did this incredibly badly IMO.
Firstly, the anticipation, you already know what you are going to get when they LIST all the powers you lose at the start and to be frank, they are no where exciting at all. I prefer the feeling of excitement like in InFamous, where you have no idea what cool power you are going to get. Now you know that you are going to gain a "dagger?" "Throwing knives?" yawnz.
Secondly, the listing, the breaking of immersion, basically you are in the matrix like world and they list your skills lost on screen, it's arbitrary and doesn't make sense, Altair can't perform his mission as well not because he can't find the equipment, it's simply because of a 'rule' that he can't use them.
Once again, not cool enough to care, if I could do Lightning storm at the start of InFamous or summon Ultima, I would try my darnedest to get back the powers. But his 'power ups' are superbly lame.
Firstly, the anticipation, you already know what you are going to get when they LIST all the powers you lose at the start and to be frank, they are no where exciting at all. I prefer the feeling of excitement like in InFamous, where you have no idea what cool power you are going to get. Now you know that you are going to gain a "dagger?" "Throwing knives?" yawnz.
Secondly, the listing, the breaking of immersion, basically you are in the matrix like world and they list your skills lost on screen, it's arbitrary and doesn't make sense, Altair can't perform his mission as well not because he can't find the equipment, it's simply because of a 'rule' that he can't use them.
Once again, not cool enough to care, if I could do Lightning storm at the start of InFamous or summon Ultima, I would try my darnedest to get back the powers. But his 'power ups' are superbly lame.
In Prototype for example, I kinda liked it because you had to be a bit more descrete rather than running around New York killing and consuming people with your powers. When you lose your powers straight from the start of a game(Asassain's Creed) on the otherhand is quite infuriating.
Like I said, I did appreciate the story bit to it though much eye rolling was had. At least I was properly compensated for the headache with the return of my powers. *won't specify since that is a spoiler*MacDonaldFin said:
Fallout 3, in a ways, does it twice with the Operation Anchorage DLC.
Final Fantasy VIII does it twice too.
When you start the Anchorage Reclamation simulation all your items are taken from you. Likewise, after finishing the DLC's main quest you don't get to keep any of the items you collected when you return to the real world.
Final Fantasy VIII does it twice too.
The first time is after you are taken captive by Galbadia after defeating Edea on disc 1. Your weapons are taken from youn meaning physical attacks do much less damage. Everything else still works though.
The second time is worse. On disc 4, when you enter Ultimecia's castle, all your abilities save for physical attacks are locked. You have to go fight bosses in order to unlock them again, which needs to be done in a certain order (choosing the wrong ones may make some of the bosses virtually unbeatable, like the Red Giant without any gravity element attacks).
The second time is worse. On disc 4, when you enter Ultimecia's castle, all your abilities save for physical attacks are locked. You have to go fight bosses in order to unlock them again, which needs to be done in a certain order (choosing the wrong ones may make some of the bosses virtually unbeatable, like the Red Giant without any gravity element attacks).
True, but the second instance is almost instantly remedied.chimpzy said:
What did annoy me was
replacing your current companion (Fawkes for me) with a bigoted, generically macho twat. Who disappears with infurating regularity.
I use the word "macho" for want of a much, MUCH better word.
The Pitt utilises this particular dick move (worse, in fact), plus your example as well. And so will Mothership Zeta if it starts as I think it will.
Works for the Metroid series...as practically in every single one of em you lose your powers at the beginning. For some reason I don't really mind.. Perhaps in another game I would... but not in Metroid.
Makes me wonder though... is Samus really that clumsy? Bad luck? Coincidence? But it's also fun in a way... makes you wonder at the start of a new Metroid game how she will lose her powers THIS time.
Makes me wonder though... is Samus really that clumsy? Bad luck? Coincidence? But it's also fun in a way... makes you wonder at the start of a new Metroid game how she will lose her powers THIS time.
Well, really it's the same as the 'lose all your guns' missions in shooters; if it's done right, it can bring a sense of vulnerability, but too often it's just used to recycle easy enemies, justify a hideously poorly thought out stealth mission, or 'reward' you with things you already had.DeathWyrmNexus said:
I liked the Spire for that reason. She did lose hotness points, but replaced it with general freaking awesome.Flying-Emu said:
Other than that, I hated it. Everything about the Spire was horrible, and it made me appreciate the game all the more once I got out of there.
The one in Kingdom Hearts was annoying and I think unneeded, I don't care if I get Beast's help and he tears shit up, want my damn Metal Chocobo back.
Goldeneye's Bunker 2 and Archives missions comes to mind, but it's forgivable since you gain a pistol almost immediatley both times. Perfect Dark not so much- taking on 2 Skedar guards with a knife in mission 8 is a fast way to die.
I usually dislike when FPSes do this to you to force you into poorly thought-out stealth segments, because usually the patrolling guards are just as hard to dodge as normal and you end up getting trapped in a corner punching frantically.
I usually dislike when FPSes do this to you to force you into poorly thought-out stealth segments, because usually the patrolling guards are just as hard to dodge as normal and you end up getting trapped in a corner punching frantically.