RPG balance?




Posted by Xenos

Do you feel that the balance between cutscenes and gameplay is balance in this day and age? I was just curious since I was reading at an RPGmaker site about game balance, and how a lot of creators don't know how to do so, but when I think about it, it can easily apply to professionals to. Especially with the new ability to have fancy and flashy cutscenes, dialogues and whatnot.




Posted by Zeta

Games have had too many cutscenes ever since everything went 3D.




Posted by Vampnagel P. Wingpire

Yes, take FFX for example. But generally I don't mind the cutscenes.




Posted by Shade

I like cutscenes. :) And they usually don't last too long anyway, might as well enjoy 'em.




Posted by WillisGreeny

It use to be people would complain about too few cutscenes, mainly with PS games, like FF7 for example. Now, i think game developers are over shooting the number of cutscenes they put in. I say cutscenes should be about 2 to 3min(unless it's really really important), and should be spaced out around 30 minutes of game play for each new scene.




Posted by S

Depends on the quality of Cut scenes. The worse the story, the more cut scenes hurt to watch. If the story is good, I can never get enough and my entire goal of playing the game is to get to the next cut scene.




Posted by Zeta

Oh ***, I just remembered in Custom Robo there was a cutscene so long you had to save like 2 times during it.




Posted by Shade

Was it good, at least?




Posted by Fate

Figure if I'm going to invest 200 hours in a game I better know how the characters are without having to read at-my-own-pace text all the time. Kind of like when you get hungry in the middle of an important text bit and decide to stop the text in the middle of the importance just because you can. Honestly, if it wasn't for the cutscenes I wouldn't care nearly as much.

Best example I can think of: Rinoa in space. No words necessary but way too much emotion to pass over. You can stop it after the first minute. If I can remember correctly, that's Squall's hand reaching from behind her to turn on the air support.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvwHGR-lu0k




Posted by Klarth

I don't mind in-engine cutscenes as much as I do FMV.

Even still, I prefer playing video games than occasionally pressing buttons during a film.




Posted by WillisGreeny

I wish Final Fantasy Tactics didn't use all ingame cutscenes though. That game had Sooo much plot that a few fully rendered cutscenes would have been neat to see.




Posted by Zeta

Then there would have been less space on the CD for the actual game. :D




Posted by Ant

The idea of there being more than one CD per game back in the PSX days in UNFATHOMABLE though right?

ANYWAYS, I've always enjoyed Cut-Scenes in games. And like Fate pointed out with that scene with Rinoa in space; sometimes it's best to have the player just watch what happens.

I can only think of two games that I've played where the cut-scenes were getting ridiculous: Final Fantasy X, and Metal Gear Solid 2.




Posted by Klarth


Quoting WillisGreeny: I wish Final Fantasy Tactics didn't use all ingame cutscenes though. That game had Sooo much plot that a few fully rendered cutscenes would have been neat to see.


Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War. PSP remake/port, FMV, FFXII characters.



Posted by Klarth

Also, Resident Evil 4 has the best cutscenes of any game ever. All entirely in-engine (unless you're a PS2 faggot) and interactive in parts.




Posted by Zeta

Yeah, I'd enjoy cutscenes more if they were like RE4's, with the dodge prompts and stuff.