Combat, death and reloading

It depends on how long a reload takes. I'll reload to optimize unless I'm in for a long start at a loading screen, or if the combat was somehow arduous.

Mostly for character death (and actually that's not automatic), but I will occasionally reload for better dialogue results. There seems to be quite a few of us in the middle of choices 2 and 3. Like several before, I lean closer to choice 2 so that's what I'm voting.

Did I miss the announcement on this poll? I didn't see anything about it starting up.

I didn't notice anything amidst the Dragon Age extravaganza either, but it's always good to see a new poll.

I reload only when necessary, but that can be very subjective depending on the game. I reload the most in strategy games, where I can't stand to lose battles, and least in rpgs, where I tend to accept ill fortune unless it really is game damaging.

Somewhere between the first two choices.
I usually accept the consequences unless they´re too harsh or hassley, which basically means once I´m stocked with resurrection scrolls and spells I´m not afraid to used them.
Chosen the second option anyway since I´m definitely not an iron man player.

For me, it depends on the game. Some games, if I really like the combat, I might reload 15 times just to get an optimal result. Games with random treasure are chronic reloaders for me. I loves the shinies. If dying doesn't cost anything, then I generally will just resurrect and move on. If I lose something because of the death, then I almost always replay the scenario that lead to death. I'm also a chronic re-roller if the game allows that during character creation.

I'm not sensitive about combat. I usually accept the outcome, unless I know that I failed just because of bad luck.

But I assume I am a habitual reloader. I don't have enough time to play a game several times. I play most games just once, but I reload many times, just to see different possible outcomes. I always do the 'wrong thing' first (for example, if I'm playing an evil character, I help the people in need), see what happens. Then I reload and do the 'right thing' this time around and continue playing.

I prefer a game systems where your characters die only if you failed big time, like allowing someone in your party to take some massive damage while they were vulnerable or just low on health, where otherwise they would just fall unconscious with some little negative hitpoints, and can be just patched up after combat. So its "only if someone dies" for me.

as an example, I'm playing Dragon Age on hard difficulty. Considering how it works, I never reload a battle. There is a penalty for dying, but it's somewhat easily restored (potion or camping). I think that's a good compromise.

Only when a characters dies.

But with these newfangled RPGs where death is just unconsciousness, then I don't reload (unless there is XP loss)...

I usely never reload, or it should be that a party member dies, but only if I have a bound with that party member.
Sometimes I will reload if someone dies in batle because of bad timing of me: let's say you have a good strategy but just because your attention weakes for a srcond, the key to that strategy dies.

It depends on the game and what it tries to do.

I think the system in Dragon Age is OK - but far from ideal. My main issue is that it partially ruins immersion to have party members magically "get up" after each fight - injury or not. Also, even if you prefer them to stay alive given the injury mechanic, you don't really invest what you would if you knew they'd die and death was a problem.

But given the MASSIVE focus on combat and the way they've chosen to make it extremely inconvenient to leave areas to camp - I think it's necessary.

I'd probably have preferred a revival spell late in the Spirit Healer talent tree (last power, for instance) and some rare revival scrolls. This way, you'd do anything to preserve your healer and you'd know that death would cost you dearly (dead healer = use a rare revival scroll or get all the way back). But with that kind of system, they'd need to tone down the amount of combat, and instead make fights more interesting.

(Almost) Never Reload!

I will play until the last character in my party dies, then of course I have to reload. If it is a game where a dead character stays dead forever - then I still reload, and try a better strategy. I do not reload at the first death of a party member though, I try to see if I can beat the fight despite it- sometimes it's especially satisfying to survive a fight with just one character left barely standing. But I never keep playing in situations where characters have become permanently dead and there is no way to bring them back. I will keep dead characters in tow for a very long time as long as there exists at a distant point down the line even a remote possibility that they can be brought back (the chance of buying a revival spell at the local temple, or finding a scroll, etcetera…)

So I voted 'never reload' with the viewpoint that this is referring to games where death isn't permanent.

I'm a Regular reloader. Sometimes I even reload if I win a battle too easily due to pure luck - if I feel that it wasn't fun enough.

Only when a party member dies and only then if it's a very big ordeal to resurrect them (assuming that's possible).

I reload if a battle goes bad. Not because of the inconvenience, but to try something different to perfect my tactics.

I only reload when I have to - such as when the GAME OVER screen pops up.

Otherwise, not really.

Unless someone in the party dies PERMANENTLY and how often does that happen in an RPG?

I think those battles where you go all out and exhaust all your MP, tons of potions and even lose a group member or two and still come out on top - THAT is one of the reason I play RPGs.

Relayer said:

Unless someone in the party dies PERMANENTLY and how often does that happen in an RPG?

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Since I am just in a Baldurs's Gate 1/1/Expansions replay using the "Big World", I can say: In that game, there are several ways (most related to death magic, but also very strong normal attacks sometimes) how one of your party members can die permanently.

I choose "Reload only when party member dies" and like you I meant: Permanently dies. Accepting a death with subsequent resurrection is normal in that game.

I forgot there was permanent die in BG1. First time I played BG1 I did it real and got one NPC die multiple time and resurrected him/her multiple time. It's only much later that I discovered I had lost a con point at each resurrect.

I suppose the version you use doesn't have this design. Otherwise I bet you would choose reload and no resurrect.

Relayer said:

I think those battles where you go all out and exhaust all your MP, tons of potions and even lose a group member or two and still come out on top - THAT is one of the reason I play RPGs.

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That's why I like the DAO system, I end some rude fights with one character, and the small injury penalty add a bit more meaning to a death during the fight. If I had to resurrect 3 characters the game would have been close to be over and requiring a reload.

I consider the healing aura healing injuries and injuries healed through camp two details not well designed.

Dhraiden said:

I will play until the last character in my party dies, then of course I have to reload. If it is a game where a dead character stays dead forever - then I still reload, and try a better strategy. I do not reload at the first death of a party member though, I try to see if I can beat the fight despite it- sometimes it's especially satisfying to survive a fight with just one character left barely standing. But I never keep playing in situations where characters have become permanently dead and there is no way to bring them back. I will keep dead characters in tow for a very long time as long as there exists at a distant point down the line even a remote possibility that they can be brought back (the chance of buying a revival spell at the local temple, or finding a scroll, etcetera…)

So I voted 'never reload' with the viewpoint that this is referring to games where death isn't permanent.

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So right, it's a really good gaming stuff when it doesn't put you in desperate cases.

In the game Citadel: Adventure of the Crystal Keep, the design around it was very cool. It was a dungeon game so coming back to town was a regular necessity. And when a character was dead you need use two members to carry the body with movement penalties in the maze (to flee monsters to avoid a fight).

But also you could let a corpse here and even your whole party dead. Back in town setup a new party to rescue the dead party through multiple rescue expeditions. As your members was managed through a roster available in town and that multiply PC used was working rather well, it was a rather fun part of the game. Well if it happened too many times you could have trouble because of the money cost but then reload was always possible.

Also your members could be poisoned and a trick was using an ability to make him unconscious slowing a lot the poison speed and you had to carry the corpse asap to town before he dies.

There was also some traps where you was enclosed. But a rescue party could find a way to free you. Or for some traps or suspected traps you could slip your party to organize a more complex management of progression in the maze.

When thinking of this game, it was a marvel.