checkpoints

Ruz

why do most modern games have checkpoint systems or complete a mission then autosave. is it just easier to code or something?
I am none to keen myself. Making me do a really long tedious bit over and over again just annoys me

Lee3dee

its easier in the code to load that stored data where the player was. If it helps me not have to save myself, I'm all for it

Ruz

oh right , so its down to lazy programming then

JordanW

Not necessarily. A quick saving system can be abused ( saving every few minutes) whereas in a checkpoint system the developer chooses when you should be able to save.

blankslatejoe

yup--i for one have become spoiled by quicksaving--it allows you to babystep till you get everything right. Though---autosave/checkpoints can penalize you if you happen to have done a crappy job with a zone and want to go back and try again--usually its a hassle to go back and try a section again.

Joshua Stubbles

I like quicksaving. Best method ever

But like Lee said, it's easier to load only those smaller blocks of data.

rooster

thats up to the player surely. if people want to 'cheat' then let them I say, I don't think developers should force people to play in the way they think is 'right'. it pisses me off too ruz, especially if I want to shut the computer/console off but I'm not near a checkpoint.

at least make them close together if you have to use them, and *before and *right after the goddamn bossfight. (and after the friggin cutscene)

Illusions

I hated that on Gears. Ok, I died fighting the Corpser...time to watch the cinematic...again...for the fourth time.

Joshua Stubbles

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I hated that on Gears. Ok, I died fighting the Corpser...time to watch the cinematic...again...for the fourth time.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG I hated that as well. I remember Ror giving an explanation for it. Something about caching or loading the data, and not being able to skip it. Bah! It was terrible sitting through it.

Mister Sentient

I think that traditionally on console plaforms it has simply been a necessity due to storage limitations.

bounchfx

[ QUOTE ]
why do most modern games have checkpoint systems or complete a mission then auto save. is it just easier to code or something?
I am none to keen myself. Making me do a really long tedious bit over and over again just annoys me

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um, as far as I can tell it's to prevent having to do an even longer tedious bit over and over again.. would you rather start the level from the beginning and do the whole 1-2 hour thing every time you die? or would you rather start at the halfway / 3/4th part and not have to do the entire thing?

my only gripe is when they checkpoint before long cut scenes.. this wouldn't be a problem if they were skipable.

Emil Mujanovic

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I hated that on Gears. Ok, I died fighting the Corpser...time to watch the cinematic...again...for the fourth time.

[/ QUOTE ]

OMG I hated that as well. I remember Ror giving an explanation for it. Something about caching or loading the data, and not being able to skip it. Bah! It was terrible sitting through it.

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The checkpoint system was really annoying in Gears, but I obviously missed Ror's explanation.

I find checkpoints (when done right) to be great because it gets rid of the whole save before a major section and re-do it until you've done it right. If you don't do it right the first time, then I guess being punished for it is only fair enough.
Sure it's annoying if you need to ditch the console before you hit a checkpoint, but its the sacrifice you have to make.

Though I liked the quicksave/quickload in the May Payne a fair bit because I'd usually quicksave before I went into a room, throw on bullet time, and try take out every dude with a single leap. Then quickload the section if I screwed up and would try it all again.

-caseyjones

Steve Schulze

Couldn't you skip the cutscenes in Gears by holding down a bunch of buttons at once? Or was that something else...

Ruz

well i think it should be up to the gamer. seems more and more some devs want to force us to do it their way even if we don't like it.
I personally would love to play a game that only has a couple of cut scenes and quicksave. i don't like t feel that I am in an interactive movie

Emil Mujanovic

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Couldn't you skip the cutscenes in Gears by holding down a bunch of buttons at once? Or was that something else...

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I can't remember exactly, but I don't think so. Unless I'm not mashing the right buttons :P

-caseyjones

Ghostscape

I honestly can't stand saving my game - automatic checkpoints let me as a player coast along without constantly saving every 5 minutes. Saving the game is one small break in the flow of the game and I find it detracts from the gameplay experience.

fmnoor

If I remember correctly, Call of Duty 2 did automatic quicksaves, so if it saved and a grenade was chucked at you at the same time, you'd pretty much be dead after each load.

That got hella annoying fast.