Originally Posted by fatBastard()
Just don't force everyone else to share your ideas of what is fun or not by making these restrictions in the core elements of the game.

You misunderstood me, or rather, that's not what I meant. What you describe is simply bad game design, no question about it. What I was referring to is the argument "you have the choice or you have the option to not abuse the system, even if you could". If there's an in-game option to make the game easier, you use it. I'm not talking about difficulty sliders, but the very core of game mechanics.

From your NWN example in your earlier post, sure you can choose not to rest if you prefer a challenge, but that's not how it works. The option is there, so you rest. If it's assumed you are rested before every battle, I'd even go as far as saying you have no choice but to rest every time: effectively you are forced to.

"No rules - no fun" Says who? You? So then we're back to the "I don't like how the works so YOU shouldn't either" line of reasoning. If there is one thing I loathe more than anything in games, it is when some, in my book, needless restriction is forcing me to redo a section over and over again.

I agree: Stuff like that sucks. But I don't care what I want or what any other gamer wants from a game. It's the developer's / designer's games and we play by their rules. If we could cheat our way out of every little obstruction they put into our way, games would be boring as hell.

But again: if it's so aggravating and irritating that is just sucks - it's bad game design.

edit: see picture