Random Encounters Are The Worst Mechanic In Gaming History

[Good Night Owl]

God I hate it so much. Designed to lengthen a game with filler, and pad things out to a ridiculous length.I immediately alt+F4 the moment it happened

So I come here to ask... Is this game going to turn into an infuriating grind fest? Or is it going to be like Pokemon where it takes you forever to go through the smallest caves because you're forced into tedious fights?

[The_Box]

That's actually one of what I'd define as the game's strengths. While it does have random battles, it also has XP catchup mechanics that mean you never have to grind for XP.

You can also get an accessory that lowers the encounter rate, which already feels fairly low compared to a lot of other JRPG's. Looking at you FF:PR.

[Good Night Owl]

Originally posted by The_Box:

That's actually one of what I'd define as the game's strengths. While it does have random battles, it also has XP catchup mechanics that mean you never have to grind for XP.

You can also get an accessory that lowers the encounter rate, which already feels fairly low compared to a lot of other JRPG's. Looking at you FF:PR.

Thank you for the response, I'm concerned because I have a long history of a burning passion when it comes to hating random encounter mechanics, and I've bailed out on many games over this, so it just has me worried.

I wasn't prepared for it, so I got ambushed with a mechanic I *really* don't like.

[Drusain]

No, it's not grindy. The way that the encounter system works, there's almost no reason. Yes you'll have encounters. I don't know your tolerance for encounters, but the way you're writing, it's probably not the way you want it to be.

[The_Box]

Originally posted by Good Night Owl:

Originally posted by The_Box:

That's actually one of what I'd define as the game's strengths. While it does have random battles, it also has XP catchup mechanics that mean you never have to grind for XP.

You can also get an accessory that lowers the encounter rate, which already feels fairly low compared to a lot of other JRPG's. Looking at you FF:PR.

Thank you for the response, I'm concerned because I have a long history of a burning passion when it comes to hating random encounter mechanics, and I've bailed out on many games over this, so it just has me worried.

I wasn't prepared for it, so I got ambushed with a mechanic I *really* don't like.

Well, I mean, it's sort of a core mechanic of JRPG's in general my guy. Waaaay more have it than don't have it. To the point it's actually a cliche, so I don't know what to tell you if it really broadsided you, lol.

But yeah, you can even let enemies just run away from you once you're stronger than them, which isn't a difficult point to reach.

[Do It For Hargon]

i adore random encounters and find on-field encounters too handholdy for my liking, purely by design.

that said, you'll be glad to know this game has 0 grinding.

[Good Night Owl]

Originally posted by Drusain:

No, it's not grindy. The way that the encounter system works, there's almost no reason. Yes you'll have encounters. I don't know your tolerance for encounters, but the way you're writing, it's probably not the way you want it to be.

I don't even know what happened to me. I used to love Pokemon as a kid, but then I turned into this lol. Yeah, my tolerance is pretty low.

But if it is as you say, and there's no grind, I am more open to giving it a chance

[Drusain]

Originally posted by Good Night Owl:

Originally posted by Drusain:

No, it's not grindy. The way that the encounter system works, there's almost no reason. Yes you'll have encounters. I don't know your tolerance for encounters, but the way you're writing, it's probably not the way you want it to be.

I don't even know what happened to me. I used to love Pokemon as a kid, but then I turned into this lol. Yeah, my tolerance is pretty low.

But if it is as you say, and there's no grind, I am more open to giving it a chance

For a little of how it works, the leveling system isn't getting a number of EXP points. It's about the level difference between your character's level vs your enemy's level. So if you're underleveled you can get several levels from one fight. If you're overleveled you just get almost nothing.

So no, no grind :) But you do get encounters maybe every 20 seconds

[SimranZenov]

I enjoy old-school random encounters

[astrosha]

The only real grinding is getting the occasional loot drop for a recruitment quest. Get this rare drop from this area. Or get 5 of those other rare drops from this other area. That sort of thing.

[Ziack]

Originally posted by Good Night Owl:

God I hate it so much. Designed to lengthen a game with filler, and pad things out to a ridiculous length.I immediately alt+F4 the moment it happened

So I come here to ask... Is this game going to turn into an infuriating grind fest? Or is it going to be like Pokemon where it takes you forever to go through the smallest caves because you're forced into tedious fights?

You're complaining about Random encounters in a game with Random encounters...This game is inspired by old school JRPGs, with random encounters... This game isn't for you. Go back to Call of Duty and get your short attention span endorphins firing, Pew Pew!

[Good Night Owl]

So what does this all mean for Suikoden. I am not familiar with it, but people say it's amazing. Should I avoid that one? It is older, so I assume it is a bit more on the grindy side, right?

[chiyen]

Originally posted by Good Night Owl:

God I hate it so much. Designed to lengthen a game with filler, and pad things out to a ridiculous length.I immediately alt+F4 the moment it happened

So I come here to ask... Is this game going to turn into an infuriating grind fest? Or is it going to be like Pokemon where it takes you forever to go through the smallest caves because you're forced into tedious fights?

In this game, it is not a RANDOM combat.

It's with fixed interval. And that ensures you will NEED to do some combat in certain zones, but just that much if you have an idea about where you are heading to.

[Hype Gorgon]

Originally posted by Good Night Owl:

God I hate it so much. Designed to lengthen a game with filler, and pad things out to a ridiculous length.I immediately alt+F4 the moment it happened

So I come here to ask... Is this game going to turn into an infuriating grind fest? Or is it going to be like Pokemon where it takes you forever to go through the smallest caves because you're forced into tedious fights?

Personally, I've gone through smaller dungeons with just 2-3 encounters. Larger dungeons will have a few more, but I've never felt so underleveled I needed to go back and grind earlier areas. Plus, as you outlevel an area, you get a guaranteed 'flee from battle' option that is basically you just letting the enemies flee.

[Chief Spreading Bull]

Originally posted by Good Night Owl:

So what does this all mean for Suikoden. I am not familiar with it, but people say it's amazing. Should I avoid that one? It is older, so I assume it is a bit more on the grindy side, right?

I think people have to moderate how they use the word grind since in this game and its predecessor, repetitive combat is a very inefficient way to progress your power. Its by progressing the story and collecting more characters and means of gathering resources

Suikoden actually has an anti-grind mechanics where experience is calculated relative to your level, so your primary characters gain very little from grinding BUT under-leveled characters instantly catch up if they are in a fight that is beyond their level. And if you are over-leveled you can always just let the enemy flee, and if you have a certain character as support you still get the loot.

For example Nowa in my game is Leve 39. I recruited Isha at Level 23. I took her to ONE fight in the area I was currently in and now she's level 32. That's the antithesis of grind. Suikoden I to V is exactly like that so there really is no grind beyond catching up characters you don't normally use but want to experiment with. And if you don't want a fight just put on the monster repellant accessory.

[CLG]

I absolutely despised the random encounters in shadow hearts where it would give you super high encounter rates in puzzle rooms.