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DEATH IN VIDEOGAMES by Fussbett 08/22/2009, 2:44pm PDT
Jerry Whorebach wrote:

And reload after each one that doesn't? I can't help but think save-anywhere fags might be missing the forest for the trees. If a game is fun, you won't mind PLAYING part of it again. If it isn't fun, why the fuck are you PLAYING it in the first place? To get to the hot sex (cutscene) afterwards? I've never personally had sex, but if it's anything like Andrew Ryan commaning you to KILL, PUPPET, KILL then that's probably for the best.

I once started to write a Caltrops article on DEATH IN VIDEOGAMES (working title) which was going to change everything the videogame establishment thought about consequences in singleplayer gaming, and elevate me to crown prince of new gaming journalism or possibly toast of the town. I wrote one paragraph:

Long ago in the silver age of arcade games my friend and I had a debate about which was better, life bars or three men. Polling other kids on this hot button issue would often yield the answer "both". Well of course it would be nice to have both, but this answer would enrage me. Why not just say infinite lives? If fact, why not say you'd prefer to not even move the joystick, just let the game play itself until the ending?! Sit back and enjoy the show! That's how I saw the removal of risk in games at 12-years-old.

...then I got bored and stopped. But the middle of the article would've focuses on Prince of Persia (2008) removing death entirely, essentially automating the quicksave/quickload and how it annoyed people [1, 2, 3 (The Escapist!!!)], quizzically even people who are proponents of quicksaves. For many, that appears to be the line that can't be crossed, because by removing control of the saves and loads they're no longer fooled into thinking the game is difficult and you're "beating" it. It's similar to the outrage when it was discovered that Dungeon Siege characters automatically drank potions when they were low on health instead of the Diablo method of requiring the player to press H.

Here's how the article would've ended: Fable II committed 100% to the new single player paradigm and showed us one perfect solution. Constant autosaves, no dying BUT your character is a dynamic illustration of your time in the game. Remember Worm talking about the pain of going through the game obese? That's Fable II's version of a low score. But you're still welcome to finish the game as big as a house, if you want. Or with many scars, or with devil horns, or with STD sores.
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7 rules all games should obey now by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/21/2009, 4:37am PDT NEW
    Re: 7 rules all games should obey now by Mr. Kool 08/21/2009, 7:26am PDT NEW
        pointlesswasteoftime.com NT by Fullofkittens 08/21/2009, 12:03pm PDT NEW
    Re: 7 rules all games should obey now by i_hate_goons.vbs 08/21/2009, 11:10am PDT NEW
        I think they come out about equal. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 11:13am PDT NEW
    Checkpoint systems are far superior to save-anywhere, design-wise. NT by Gutsby 08/21/2009, 2:14pm PDT NEW
    So the card-flinging is better if you can save after each one that goes in? by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 5:28pm PDT NEW
        Yes, it's way better. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 6:29pm PDT NEW
            Then how come all the best games disallow it? Portal, Dead Rising, Pac-Man CE... by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 7:02pm PDT NEW
                PS why not simply eliminate all penalties for failure? Like in an ADVENTURE game NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 7:04pm PDT NEW
                Portal? NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 7:12pm PDT NEW
                    Huh, so you only notice the lack of save-anywhere when you AREN'T having fun? by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 7:17pm PDT NEW
                    Also, I hate to make you look stupid, BUT... by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 7:23pm PDT NEW
                        Portal has quicksaves, as does HL1 and HL2. by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 10:33pm PDT NEW
                            I wouldn't know, I never EVEN had to use them v_v by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 10:50pm PDT NEW
                                I guess I simply know more about these games then. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 10:54pm PDT NEW
                                    Yes, you obviously know more about failing at these games. NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 10:56pm PDT NEW
                                        I finished Portal before you even bought it. 8) NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 11:02pm PDT NEW
                                            You finished a one-hour game? Colour me impressed. by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 11:09pm PDT NEW
                                                It took me 15 minutes while you were asleep. 8) NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 11:16pm PDT NEW
                                                    Yeah the Game Genie cheats they have these days are great aren't they? by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 11:26pm PDT NEW
                                                        They have Game Genie for the PC? This is strange information. by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/21/2009, 11:51pm PDT NEW
                                                            It seems like all information is strange and new to you. by Jerry Whorebach 08/22/2009, 12:07am PDT NEW
                                                                Sorry, I went to sleep. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 8:54am PDT NEW
                                                                    I would never wake a sleeping baby. NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/22/2009, 6:26pm PDT NEW
                                                                        no one would keep one around you with your night terrors NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 10:56pm PDT NEW
                                                                            You know a lot about parenting for someone who's barren. NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/23/2009, 5:17am PDT NEW
                                                                                Impotence is NOT the same thing as being barren NT by Barren Uteri and Scrot Defense Fund 08/23/2009, 12:33pm PDT NEW
                                                                                    Change your name to Joke Killer. NT by Fussbett 08/23/2009, 12:36pm PDT NEW
                                                                                    I am indeed not barren NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/23/2009, 1:34pm PDT NEW
                                                                                        That there is jizz mingled with the tears on his pillow prove this conclusively. NT by motherfuckerfoodeater 08/23/2009, 8:17pm PDT NEW
                                                                                            Why was Jerry crying? NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/23/2009, 9:11pm PDT NEW
                                                                                                Jsoh was crying because he found out the title of his memoir was already taken. NT by Lost in the Barrens 08/24/2009, 1:06am PDT NEW
                                                                                                    it is a great title NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/24/2009, 5:00am PDT NEW
                                                                                                        IS THAT THE ONE ABOUT THE HOOKER WITH DYSENTERY? NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/24/2009, 11:57am PDT NEW
                                                                                                    It's not really customary to refer to the person you're replying to in the third NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/24/2009, 11:56am PDT NEW
                portal allows save anywhere, your argument is invalid NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 7:49am PDT NEW
                    Like Jhoh's brother ^_^ NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/22/2009, 7:21pm PDT NEW
                        GO LIVE SOUTH OF MARKET YER ON WELFARE NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 7:33pm PDT NEW
        Pretty sure I did that with Portal's challenges! by Worm 08/21/2009, 8:22pm PDT NEW
            So what this comes down to is you're bad at games and baby wants his blanket. by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 9:04pm PDT NEW
                Tough talk from a guy who beat my Geowars score by half a point or whatever. by Worm 08/22/2009, 6:20am PDT NEW
                    Re: Tough talk from a guy who beat my Geowars score by half a point or whatever. by Mysterious Stranger 08/22/2009, 1:38pm PDT NEW
                        This is like arguing Garfield is funny because you can unmap John's dialog. NT by It doesn't work that way, genius. 08/22/2009, 6:20pm PDT NEW
                            OH SHIT WHATEVER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONO YOU DINT NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 7:10pm PDT NEW
                            you can unmap garfields dialog and it becomes funny, already proven, you are wro NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 10:54pm PDT NEW
                                In that case Jim Davis has a book to sell you. OH TOO LATE YOU ALREADY BOUGHT IT NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/23/2009, 5:18am PDT NEW
                                    Jurry needs a sister to stalk. NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/23/2009, 9:28am PDT NEW
                                        Sorry, but I wouldn't stalk Jsoh's sister (you) with 10,000-metre NVGs [8]( NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/24/2009, 1:02am PDT NEW
                    I thought I was being classy, like Billy "Wicked" Mitchell. NT by I grew a beard and everything :,( 08/22/2009, 9:38pm PDT NEW
                        You need an American flag tie (you think anyone wants a roundhouse kick to the f NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 10:33pm PDT NEW
                        This is a better beard emoticon -- :|)] NT by Or maybe this -- :{)} 08/23/2009, 1:07pm PDT NEW
        Re: So the card-flinging is better if you can save after each one that goes in? by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/21/2009, 9:26pm PDT NEW
            Can we get another blanket over here? by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 10:55pm PDT NEW
                Well, not literal arcade games. Those are outside. NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/21/2009, 10:58pm PDT NEW
                    Oh right, you live in the United States of Grabass, where arcade culture is dead NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/21/2009, 11:11pm PDT NEW
                        america is the most advanced culture, yes NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 7:53am PDT NEW
                            If by "advanced" you mean "grabastic" then yes, America is advanced. BARELY. NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/22/2009, 6:22pm PDT NEW
                                Re: If by "advanced" you mean "grabastic" then yes, America is advanced. BARELY. by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/22/2009, 10:13pm PDT NEW
                                    Pretty sure you were talking about the grabastic state of arcade culture in the NT by United States of Grabass 08/23/2009, 5:13am PDT NEW
                                        Oh! There was an important clue as to why I was not talking about that by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/23/2009, 2:00pm PDT NEW
                                            Among other things. NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/24/2009, 1:09am PDT NEW
                                jerry discovers /b/ NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 11:03pm PDT NEW
                                    I'm a regular Marco Polo compared to you 8) NT by Jerry Whorebach 08/23/2009, 5:15am PDT NEW
            I agree with ICJ about all of this, up until I dunno sports or text games by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 8:12am PDT NEW
                Surprise, the "save anywhere" argument is also ... somehow about WoW? NT by Worm 08/22/2009, 8:31am PDT NEW
                    bringing up a related subject when talking about that subject? whu.... WHAAAAAA NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 8:56am PDT NEW
                        zero degrees of seperation, the cable family game NT by Worm 08/23/2009, 1:07pm PDT NEW
                    What is wrom mad about this time? NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 9:09am PDT NEW
                My worldview is looking pretty sweet, right now (also: the rest of the time) by Ray of Light 08/22/2009, 3:22pm PDT NEW
                    You do nothing but play 2fort on the same server all day. :( NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 3:28pm PDT NEW
                        And Scrabble and poker. Just one more thing (two more things) you got wrong. NT by Ray of Light 08/22/2009, 7:45pm PDT NEW
                            You play them online, your kids are one crutch away from a telethon, you got a f NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/22/2009, 8:30pm PDT NEW
                            wow scrabble NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/22/2009, 10:55pm PDT NEW
                                WoW Scrabble: endorsed by Jsoh, just $14.99/mo. (I play the free java version) NT by Ray of Light 08/23/2009, 5:15am PDT NEW
                                    We play Warhammer and it's better than Scrabble by a lot. 8) NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 08/23/2009, 9:27am PDT NEW
                                        Oh sweet, a monthly fee! Did you get unlimited text messaging? NT by Ray of Light 08/23/2009, 11:36am PDT NEW
                                            no, that is a cheap gimmick used to fool people who play gay board games like sc NT by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/23/2009, 1:36pm PDT NEW
                                                YOU may be susceptible to cheapness and/or gimmickry! Take this simple quiz. by Ray of Light 08/23/2009, 6:27pm PDT NEW
        DEATH IN VIDEOGAMES by Fussbett 08/22/2009, 2:44pm PDT NEW
            Of course these days we know the answer is "three men" by Jerry Whorebach 08/22/2009, 9:15pm PDT NEW
                In Fable 2 I was the three men with one lifebar. NT by Worm 08/23/2009, 2:23pm PDT NEW
                OBJECTION: there are life bars in all fighting games and they are a good idea! by Zsenitan 08/23/2009, 2:47pm PDT NEW
                    You're missing the crucial difference between life bars and lives. by Fullofkittens 08/23/2009, 8:11pm PDT NEW
                        both concepts are pretty much obsolete now that games are on consoles by Weyoun Voidbringer 08/24/2009, 5:03am PDT NEW
 
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