Playing a game vs watching walkthrough

[oddech_wymarlych_swiatow]

I've finished Persona 4 about two months ago. Plot/atmopshere/mystery/music/artstyle/characters were awesome, one of the best video games have to offer but... from ~80hour I've spent with it, half of my playtime was wasted on terrible fights against lazy designed enemies rehashed throughout the whole game (including minibosses). In boring, random generated dungeons I must add.

Now I'm at my third attempt to finish Persona 3 but (if it's possible) Tartarus seems to be even worse than TV World dungeon crawling. Howlongtobeat predicts around 90h to end with this shit and there's another 30h to complete coming with The Answer. I'm extremely curious about the plot, I crave to experience this awesome occult atmosphere but at the same time, there's a price to pay (at least half of the 120 h) - a torture of awfully boring combat parts so I ask myself - is it even worth to play by myself?

One of video games' weakest points is filler content that ruins whole fun so if devs were unable to spare us (players) this torment, it would be fair if we skip this crap right? I've never done that before, rather abandonned playthroughs instead of wathing lp's on youtube coz it didn't seem 'right' to me as being no replacement for satisfaction of finishing things. And now I just wonder - maybe my attitude was wrong?

And what's your opinion guyz? Do you prefer video walkthroughs over games in some cases? Are any games you regret finishing as you went to conslusion that Let's Play should be enough for them?

Pls do not count garbage like Beyond Two Souls that has no gampelay at all.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Using cheat codes would probably be a good compromise between enduring the banality and watching someone else play.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Using cheat codes would probably be a good compromise between enduring the banality and watching someone else play.

On consoles? Cheats? Are they exist past PS2 era? Or they exist in Persona series?

Speaking about the whole LP stuff... well, it's complicated, it's like modern TV except with less shit and more choices. Not all games are good for LP/walkthrough, even if you like them.
And for LP there is two kind - LParchive/Codex Playground with screenshots and video.

And your case? Best shot is propably Lparchive, read it all and spend your time better. But if you can waste more than 25h on fillers stuff then why you ask? You have doubts with 120h spended on filler combat and you play for story? What?

 

[Hirato]

I follow LPs of games I never intend to play (eg mass effect), or when the author is know to be entertaining (eg RK47 or Broteam).

On consoles? Cheats? Are they exist past PS2 era? Or they exist in Persona series?

You wildly underestimate the ease at which you can presently run the games in an emulator and fiddle with the desired bits in the likes of cheatengine to your heart's content.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Well, I remember cheats on PS2/Psx with some combinations, codes in special section but that's all.
And yeah, I saw some cheats in Pcsx2 emulator but didn't tried it, or should say - never saw an example of them, no matter if it was on videos or while playing.

Actually, you inspired me try this filthy trick. I could use it for my Monster Hunter games (I lost my saves from 200h game). Especially MH games, where there is no monster HP bar or other stuffs that I forgot and are fixable with foul hacks.

 

[Renegen]

The ending of Persona 3 sucks. The ending of all SMTs suck, it's always some philosophical spiritual bullshit I never understand. Play it for the challenge and the grinding, admittedly the Persona games are a bit easier in that department.

 

[Hirato]

Amusingly, PCSX2's built in cheating mechanism has been mainly used to patch in widescreen support.
Some of which produce some amusing quirks, like seeing characters running on the spot off-screen.

Spoiler

I should probably update my LP sometime...

 

[Konjad]

I can't get myself to watch walkthroughts, they are just too boring. Games are meant to be played. I'd rather watch crappy movie than a walkthrough of a good game. Cheating is indeed a good compromise, but if you are at the point of not having fun and at the verge of having to "endure" stuff, maybe it's a good time to stop playing a turd and check out another game?

 

[adddeed]

If large parts of the game are boring for you and a chore to play, then the game should not be played, period.

I play games to have fun, not to watch them on youtube. If something is tiresome, i delete and move on. Time is valuable and i'm not wasting it on garbage or hours in front of youtube just for the sake of some computer game.

I don't hjave any obligation to finish a game, especially on that i force myself to play jus for the sake of completing it.

That's why i never understand all those completionists, going through their backlog and rushing through a bunch of mediocre games like it's their duty or something. Who cares how many games you've finished really?

 

[Night Goat]

If the story is interesting and the gameplay isn't, an LP is a perfectly cromulent way to experience a game. You have a limited amount of free time, why spend it doing something you don't enjoy?

 

[racofer]

Citizens, you are suffering from Hepler Syndrome. Please report to the nearest health center for immediate reeducation.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I can't get myself to watch walkthroughts, they are just too boring. Games are meant to be played. I'd rather watch crappy movie than a walkthrough of a good game. Cheating is indeed a good compromise, but if you are at the point of not having fun and at the verge of having to "endure" stuff, maybe it's a good time to stop playing a turd and check out another game?

It's not that simple. He really likes one part of the game while disliking another. He sees it as a "flawed gem", to use codex speak. You know how you often hear Arcanum is worth playing despite being an unbalanced mess? How BG2 still sneaks into Top 10 lists even though it is saddled with the foul invention known as RTwP combat? How Bloodlines gets much love but when you play it you notice it is a FPS for people who hate FPS? Yeah. Most games will force you to endure some shit design, because games that remain awesome for the entire ride are rare (and even then they still have banalshitboring moments, because the perfect game doesn't exist). When you find one you really like, it's hard to give up because of some flaws.

For the OP, maybe he can use a code to stop the random trash encounters, but that would leave him somewhat underleveled for the non-skippable fights (could be a nice challenge). Maybe a cheat to boost the character's levels to skip the grind would allow him to enjoy the parts he likes while steamrolling through the parts he isn't interested in.

 

[StaticSpine]

In case of Persona 3 the best choice is to take lower difficulty in the beginning - it just decreases the amount of grinding you must do. I've walked through P3P on Easy - it took 59 hour, I enjoyed the story/game, though still the fights were tedious and the dungeons were too similar.

 

[Machocruz]

Sometimes you can find videos that cover just the story and dialog portions of a game.

I'm playing Persona 4 now, and only the characters, story, and social link stuff appeals to me. I may look for a level boosting cheat.

But if you want occult atmosphere and tolerable combat and dungeon-crawling, you're better off playing a mainline SMT. I'm also trying out Nocturne, and it's awesome.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Sometimes if the commentary is fun or if it's a speed run I'll watch it. Otherwise, I either play it or dump it. The moment I need to cheat to get past banal parts it's time to dump the turd!

 

[Metro]

Shit belongs in the jrpgCodesu section.

 

[oddech_wymarlych_swiatow]

I'm also trying out Nocturne, and it's awesome.

I beat it last year and loved it, its combat / dungen crawling / demons design are exactly opposite to Persona counterparts quality-wise. Plus SMT3 was 99% combat-focused with plot reduced to minimum so all these elements can be done fukken right, can't they Atlus?

But if you can waste more than 25h on fillers stuff then why you ask?

I can't. And don't want to.

 

[Baron Dupek]

I can't. And don't want to.

Then do what I said earlier - go to the LParchive and read the story or visit Tvtropes. Unless you prefer videos then you may have problem, with searching certain video part.

Or just learn how the cheats work for emu and get through with without sweat.

 

[DraQ]

Playing a game vs watching walkthrough

If it's even a question, then it's no longer a game.

 

[adddeed]

How BG2 still sneaks into Top 10 lists even though it is saddled with the foul invention known as RTwP combat?.

I love real time with pause. Why is this hated so much around here?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

 

[DalekFlay]

I have watched Kikoskia on youtube play a few point and click adventure games I have never played. Namely the Goblins games. I think adventure is the only genre where watching someone else play can be as entertaining as playing yourself, especially when the person playing is relatively interesting to listen to, which I think Kikoskia is.

When I have watched people play shooters or RPGs it was always either a brief look to see if the game is worth playing, or a game I have finished before myself.

 

[Cadmus]

Playing a game vs watching walkthrough

If it's even a question, then it's no longer a game.

I'd say for a video game, the story part is usually so small that if condensed into a video without the game parts, it will be unsatisfying. The story can be sort of a pay off after gameplay or an addition, but alone it will stand weak. The only game I've played by watching my friend play it (cuz I fucking hate controllers and we always do it, sit together for 2 days straight, get drunk as fuck and finish whatever the newest one is..) was Metal Gear series. And I'd say it's one of the very few games where by only watching even the story parts, you'll get the game's worth out of it, but usually, no. For me it's either play and endure or quit and fuck it.

 

[oddech_wymarlych_swiatow]

Maybe I'm betting old but after a few tries... I liked some of LP's I've read. I may be kind of different experience than playing the game but if after reading my urge to play vanishes then what was the point of playing in the first place?

LP allowed me to enjoy Drakengards / NieR without need to suffer from bsb game mechanics and bullshit amount of grinding... I squished tasteful juices out of rotten apples so now I can keep only good memories of these games. It can be said about a few other game but what's more... now I feel like I SHOULD have read proper LP instead of finishing some games where gameplay was not exactly a splendid part of them (Persona 2 /3)....

... but this shit is tempting, e.g. I left KOTOR2 unfinished half year ago and now I consider to delete it and reach Scorchy's LP insted. the same with other chores of which I kepts save files (Valkyrie Profile!)...

First World Problems u know

 

[pippin]

I used to follow some old LPers (before the LP thing became shit), mostly because they tried mods, romhacks, obscure stuff, etc. Now, I only do it when I'm stuck in a game, or when I want some tips with character creation, but it's still very rare.

 

[omega21]

I watch LP if the game is console only, since I only own a 360 and can't be fucked to actually turn it on ever again.