Is there any value in allowing characters to walk rather than run in an isometric RPG?

[rusty_shackleford]

Prince of Persia:Sands of Time

Where the prince can fall off a cliff, and half-way down reverse the flow of time back to before he fell; avoiding death/reloads.

Can we do this with CRPGs?
Like where it becomes the norm; a preferred meta-mechanic over save skumming.
Like sometimes I think fucking up is a fun timeline to explore but you shouldn't be punished for it.

That's exactly what being able to save/load on demand is though. It's even explained in universe as being exactly this in TES games through CHIM.

 

[Harthwain]

In real life, the only actual reason not to run all the time is because you're lazy and lack the stamina to do it, or when you're carrying loose objects and liquids in open containers. Video games caused me to realize this...after that, I turned on "Always Run" mode in real life, too.

I am a very frequent runner but even I do not run all the time. Even if you have the stamina to do it, you are going to spend calories due to energy expenditure, meaning you will need to eat more to cover it. Frankly, the amount of time you're saving by running isn't all that significant to make a big deal out of it (versus other modes of transportation). What you really want is to overload your muscles to develop them.

If all of your ideas involve artificial penalties for running, maybe that is telling you something.

Pointless comment. It's like to say that an army shouldn't have a penalty for going to battle tired because of forced marching. In IE games you do have fatigue penalty for going too long without resting (and using Haste speeds this up even more). Imagine how important of a factor this would be, tactically speaking, had the game not allowed for rest-spamming or ambush for trying to rest in a dangerous location actually mattered (Darkest Dungeon-style). If you really don't want running from point A to point B, then do it like in Age of Decadence.

 

[Norfleet]

Even if you have the stamina to do it, you are going to spend calories due to energy expenditure, meaning you will need to eat more to cover it.

And this is supposed to be a problem? The average person is a landwhale specifically because they ALREADY eat more, only they don't have anything to cover with it. ALWAYS RUN, FATBOY.

Frankly, the amount of time you're saving by running isn't all that significant to make a big deal out of it (versus other modes of transportation). What you really want is to overload your muscles to develop them.

Add an extra bullet to your loadout every day. Then RUN with it.

In IE games you do have fatigue penalty for going too long without resting (and using Haste speeds this up even more). Imagine how important of a factor this would be, tactically speaking, had the game not allowed for rest-spamming or ambush for trying to rest in a dangerous location actually mattered (Darkest Dungeon-style).

The problem is that making resting in dangerous locations matter just makes it so that now you can farm XP by doing it on purpose.

 

[Harthwain]

And this is supposed to be a problem? The average person is a landwhale specifically because they ALREADY eat more, only they don't have anything to cover with it. ALWAYS RUN, FATBOY.

This is part of the larger whole. The main point is that the constant running is not sustainable, especially if you're carrying stuff with you. Even if you're accustomed to the exercise you are going to get tired from running all the time and your body will need rest. Unless by "I run everywhere, all the time" you mean really short distances. But then the whole talk is pretty much pointless.

The problem is that making resting in dangerous locations matter just makes it so that now you can farm XP by doing it on purpose.

Not if combat as such is not giving you the XP (or its equivalent).

 

[PapaPetro]

Why not make the world move to you faster instead of having to move through it faster?

 

[Nifft Batuff]

I wonder how does natural selection apply for species that decide to run for every movement.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

video games should require manual breathing or else you die from lack of oxygen because realism is fun

 

[PapaPetro]

video games should require manual breathing or else you die from lack of oxygen because realism is fun

Well at the very least, my character should pee when I do. It's not like he's doing anything better while I'm pissing.

 

[JarlFrank]

video games should require manual breathing or else you die from lack of oxygen because realism is fun

Well at the very least, my character should pee when I do. It's not like he's doing anything better while I'm pissing.

>go to pee during dragon fight
>character pees on dragon
>dragon takes 10d6 humiliation damage

 

[bionicman]

Is there any value in allowing characters to walk rather than run in an isometric RPG?​

No, unless walking is sneaking.

/thread

 

[Lim-Dûl]

Walking improves atmosphere. Manual breathing does not.

 

[Lim-Dûl]

People who think "you would run all the time if you had the energy" or along those lines is a good argument might want to learn about runner's diarrhea.

 

[PapaPetro]

People who think "you would run all the time if you had the energy" or along those lines is a good argument might want to learn about runner's diarrhea.

If you could fly like superman, would you just hover everywhere briskly and never use your legs?

 

[Max Stats]

video games should require manual breathing or else you die from lack of oxygen because realism is fun

Well at the very least, my character should pee when I do. It's not like he's doing anything better while I'm pissing.

>go to pee during dragon fight
>character pees on dragon
>dragon takes 10d6 humiliation damage

What if the dragon is one of those pervs that like being peed on?

 

[Corbin Dallas Multipass]

video games should require manual breathing or else you die from lack of oxygen because realism is fun

Spoken like a man who didn't play fahrenheit, or indigo prophecy, or whatever the fuck that game ended up being called. The manual breathing is what made the part of the game where you searched an archive for files so much more immersive!

It did have the best QTE gameplay of any game I've ever played... but I'm not sure that's really a compliment.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

After the great success of the "walking simulators", now is the time of the "running simulators", i.e. the crpgs without walking option.

 

[King Crispy]

Why not make the world move to you faster instead of having to move through it faster?

This is actually a very good question, but not in the way you intended.

If you as a game designer, hilariously, decided to design your RPG such that everything in it moves at twice the speed one would expect, including the player, wouldn't that, in effect, provide what rusty apparently desires, that of not wasting any time reaching your next destination?

"But wait! All the NPCs and monsters are moving twice as fast as they should, that's not fair!"

Well, since you don't really care about "realism" or "immersion" at all, then too bad. Aren't you just wasting your time fighting and interacting with them at "normal" speed anyway? Just like "walking" wastes time? That's why we sped everything up! Brilliant!

 

[Poseidon00]

Only in ones like Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun that are stealth based and in real time.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Wondered this stuff myself. Walking around is more realistic but boring as fuck
Running away is the choice but it surely looks weird
The correct solution is to make walking really fast (with optional time speeding)
Like in Underrail

 

[PapaPetro]

Why not make the world move to you faster instead of having to move through it faster?

This is actually a very good question, but not in the way you intended.

If you as a game designer, hilariously, decided to design your RPG such that everything in it moves at twice the speed one would expect, including the player, wouldn't that, in effect, provide what rusty apparently desires, that of not wasting any time reaching your next destination?

"But wait! All the NPCs and monsters are moving twice as fast as they should, that's not fair!"

Well, since you don't really care about "realism" or "immersion" at all, then too bad. Aren't you just wasting your time fighting and interacting with them at "normal" speed anyway? Just like "walking" wastes time? That's why we sped everything up! Brilliant!

But what if everything just moved to you faster?
Or if everything slowed down, would you "feel" like your moving faster? And what would be the ideal ratio?

 

[Hace El Oso]

Wondered this stuff myself. Walking around is more realistic but boring as fuck
Running away is the choice but it surely looks weird
The correct solution is to make walking really fast (with optional time speeding)
Like in Underrail

I really didn’t like the bizarre speed-walk of BG2 compared to the normal walk speed in BG1 because of the visual discrepancy if nothing else. It needs an animation, like in Disco Elysium.

 

[PapaPetro]

I mean we're no wedded to the old concepts of movement in CRPGs. Games like Zork was like playing single player MUD through literal walls of texts.