When are "Elemental" themes forgiveable in a video game?

[Figrut]

When are "Elemental" themes forgiveable in a video game? What would you propose as an alternative? Sound examples welcomed.

 

[Dragon_of_red]

Ugggg what?

What ids an Elemental Theme? cause ive been doing Chemistry for the good part of an hour so im not sure f you mean "Earth, Fire, Wate rand Air" or "Sodium, Iodine, Helium and Neon"

Please explain.

 

[Trivun]

Do you mean the traditional Classical Elements of alchemy? If so, then whenever they're used in context. Things like magic spells and whatnot are fine by me. I honestly don't see what you're getting at here...

 

[Infinatex]

Final Fantasy sorta has been doing it long enough, so it's kinda their thing. It would have to be incorporated reaaaaaaly well to not be cliché as shit.

 

[Figrut]

Thanks folks. I would have to say I am saticefied and had few other questions it would have been awkward to try to propose answered inadvertently.

 

[djpsykotiko]

I think it's alright. If it's painfully forced into the game then yeah, I would agree it's probably not a good thing. But it would get dreadfully boring if you're just running around the same scenery at all times throughout a game unless theres a reason for it. or if theres enough interesting stuff to look at.

as for using elemental attacks, that's kinda the basis of magical attacks. "oh look, i can set you on fire, freeze you, shock you, and.. oh yeah. i can blow you... with wind.. get yer mind out of the gutter.. damn!". there's no other way to really change the options of that.

 

[Shadowsole]

"oh look, i can set you on fire, freeze you, shock you, and.. oh yeah. i can blow you... with wind.. get yer mind out of the gutter.. damn!".

I Can Also Get you Wet.

As Spells The're fine but If Every Monter has an Element then it get anoying...

 

[grimsprice]

"oh look, i can set you on fire, freeze you, shock you, and.. oh yeah. i can blow you... with wind.. get yer mind out of the gutter.. damn!".

I Can Also Get you Wet.

As Spells The're fine but If Every Monter has an Element then it get anoying...

I can also whip you with vines and crush you with my stones.


As mentioned by the above users, i think it works if you stick with it and make it seem pertinent.

How to do it well: Final Fantasy games
How to do it poorly: Elder Scrolls games

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

If the game's logic centres around the "Elements" then I would argue its fine, (albeit the use of them has become a very large cliche).

But once the use of them begins to contradict other areas of the game's logic then it becomes a problem.

 

[Amnestic]

Anything with Golden Sun in the title.

It's pretty much central to the entire plotline.

 

[Lotet]

POKEMO~~~~~N!

but really, it's good as long as the elemental system doesn't let the enemy 'cheap' me to death

 

[djpsykotiko]

lol! I forgot to mention the earth and water elements there.

But Agreed. It does get annoying when you are required to remember which elements oppose each other in order to defeat the enemies. In my opinion, it's best used as a way to get a bit of a bonus out putting the effort into it, rather than the full deciding factor. Honestly, sometimes all I want to do is hack and slash the shit out of something. Having to waste my magic on some enemy just because it's immune to physical attacks or specific magic just makes it frustrating. But that might just be that I'm lazy, lol.