Tacgnol
Shitlord
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2010
- Messages
- 1,871,734
I might be in the minority, I'm not sure but I always hated the tedium of pre-buffing before every single fight in any game that featured it as a sort of requirement.
If you are in the minority, the majority has bad taste for sure.
Few things can be universally consider "bad design" but the reliance of some games on pre-buff chains is definitely among them.
I think pre-buffing is fine if the situation realistically calls for it. Party casting protection from energy before entering a monster lair with a particular element. Freedom of movement if expected to be encountering monsters that like to grapple etc.
It feels a bit meta-gamey with short term buffs before a boss fight that's unexpected from character perspective, especially with reloading saves. Obviously if the characters are somehow alerted in character to what's coming up then it's a different situation.
It is meta-gamey, but the real problem with this approach lies elsewhere. In a good tactical combat system, you, as a player, should be tasked with the choice of the right action at the right moment (Is it better to attack o to buff my front-liners? Time for a vicious debuff or for a mass-healing? Etc.)
Allowing players to use pre-buff chains (even worse, informed by meta-game knowledge acquired through death and reload) makes the decision-making process during the actual combat poorer.
One trick that DMs often do on the tabletop (and I've done myself) is a perception check before you're coming up to an encounter.
If the party passes and it's an enemy they've fought before, like flying polyps for example (which make a distinctive wind howling sound when they move), the party gets a clue to what's coming up in the area ahead. That way they could use appropriate spells before hitting the encounter.
Otherwise I agree, pre-buffing with tons of short term buffs on meta knowledge is very CRPG-y. Long term buffs are fine, as that's the whole point of them.