Don't get me wrong. I love modern RPGs. The stories, the quests, the plot twists, there's so much to love. But there are also things I actually find myself missing, though they used to drive me nuts in old RPGs.
-Difficult dungeons
It was maddening. Where is that stupid hidden button to open that (secret) door? Is there any illusionary wall I can go through? Wait, that was a hidden teleporter. Where am I now?
Let's be honest. Dungeons in the old days of RPGs were mean. But that was part of the fun. Today, many dungeons seem so much shorter and hardly hold any surprises. You go in, kill everything, pick up the loot, and leave. There aren't even many forking paths leading to dead ends. It's mostly all straight ahead from the entrance to the exit. Yawn.
-Resource management in times of trouble
I remember the days when inventories were very limited, while you had quite a way to go between locations. You had to buy potions carefully. Too few, and you would get into trouble. Too many, and you could hardly even fight, walk, or carry any found treasure.
Today I sometimes miss the feeling I had when I finally returned to civilization from a trip into a dungeon. Low on health, mana, potions, and probably even food. Reaching the next settlement was such a relieve. You could sell your loot, buy new potions and other supplies and relax a little. Now it's often so easy, being in a town just means getting new quests. Yes, you still sell loot, but your party doesn't need to recover anymore. That feeling of finally being back to safety is gone, because the wilderness and the dungeons aren't as dangerous anymore. In times where your wizards don't even have mana anymore, or their mana is regenerating permanently, there's no need to be careful about the spells you cast. When your characters' health regenerates, too, and a five minute nap is all it takes to refill everything, why even bother to carry any healing potions? Or why worry about finding a save place to rest? It takes away the feeling of danger and adventure for me.
So, what about you guys? Is there anything you miss from the old days? RPGs have come a long way, and they're great, but sure there's something that's no longer part of the gameplay, that you miss, too.
-Difficult dungeons
It was maddening. Where is that stupid hidden button to open that (secret) door? Is there any illusionary wall I can go through? Wait, that was a hidden teleporter. Where am I now?
Let's be honest. Dungeons in the old days of RPGs were mean. But that was part of the fun. Today, many dungeons seem so much shorter and hardly hold any surprises. You go in, kill everything, pick up the loot, and leave. There aren't even many forking paths leading to dead ends. It's mostly all straight ahead from the entrance to the exit. Yawn.
-Resource management in times of trouble
I remember the days when inventories were very limited, while you had quite a way to go between locations. You had to buy potions carefully. Too few, and you would get into trouble. Too many, and you could hardly even fight, walk, or carry any found treasure.
Today I sometimes miss the feeling I had when I finally returned to civilization from a trip into a dungeon. Low on health, mana, potions, and probably even food. Reaching the next settlement was such a relieve. You could sell your loot, buy new potions and other supplies and relax a little. Now it's often so easy, being in a town just means getting new quests. Yes, you still sell loot, but your party doesn't need to recover anymore. That feeling of finally being back to safety is gone, because the wilderness and the dungeons aren't as dangerous anymore. In times where your wizards don't even have mana anymore, or their mana is regenerating permanently, there's no need to be careful about the spells you cast. When your characters' health regenerates, too, and a five minute nap is all it takes to refill everything, why even bother to carry any healing potions? Or why worry about finding a save place to rest? It takes away the feeling of danger and adventure for me.
So, what about you guys? Is there anything you miss from the old days? RPGs have come a long way, and they're great, but sure there's something that's no longer part of the gameplay, that you miss, too.
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2016
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