The Fallout Guide: Paying To Diminish Your Game's Value

[Churd]

Why would someone purchase a game that is all about open world exploration, surprises via that exploration, intrigue excitement of finding new characters, places, and items in which you didn't know existed...

...And then use a game guide to spoil all of that for you, basically turning it into a shooter instead of an exploration/RPG.

By using a guide, you're reducing the value of your own game. Unless you are the type of person that likes to know how a movie ends before you watch it, I don't understand why you would want to use a guide to tell you whats going to happen in your game before it happens.

[Captain]

I got a guide and I've barely touched it. I don't want to spoil myself obviously but later on when I'm going for completing all the quests and finding the unique weapons I didn't get on my own after many playthroughs, it's useful.

[Niblix]

Some people buy the guides because they don't have internet

[MC1_Judge]

Why would someone care enough to create a post complaining that someone might buy a guide to a single player game that they don't even own on the account they are posting with.

[Churd]

Originally posted by Niblix:

Some people buy the guides because they don't have internet

Finding that unique item is far less enjoyable when you read a guide to tell you where it is.

Finding that special quest line is far less immersive and enjoyable when a guide told you where it is and you planned it out, instead of letting it happen fluidly and naturally.

I can tell you, its a hell of a lot more exciting when you find things that you didn't know were there in the first place.

Thats why I, personally, never look up a single spoiler, not even which weapons are in the game, before playing.

[Churd]

Originally posted by Vince:

Why would someone care enough to create a post complaining that someone might buy a guide to a single player game that they don't even own on the account they are posting with.

Brief conversation with gamers.

[Ferus]

Originally posted by Churdington:

...And then use a game guide to spoil all of that for you, basically turning it into a shooter instead of an exploration/RPG.

It's already a shooter instead of an exploration/RPG.

[paugus]

Originally posted by Vince:

Why would someone care enough to create a post complaining that someone might buy a guide to a single player game

Seriously. It's almost insulting how much y'all try to dictate how everyone is allowed to enjoy something. You're not obligated to understand why someone would want a guide, but they don't really owe you an explanation, either.

[Churd]

Originally posted by paugus:

Originally posted by Vince:

Why would someone care enough to create a post complaining that someone might buy a guide to a single player game

Seriously. It's almost insulting how much y'all try to dictate how everyone is allowed to enjoy something. You're not obligated to understand why someone would want a guide, but they don't really owe you an explanation, either.

How can you get immersed in the world if you're reading a guide that tells you what to do next, and you know whats going to happen before it happens? Aren't you robbing yourself of what the game has to offer?

Isn't it similar to reading the script of a movie before watching it? Won't the person who has never seen a spoiler enjoy that movie more than you? Isn't it the same with story and exploration based games? Isn't that the whole reason we call it "spoiling" in the first place? Because it literally spoils the experience?

[paugus]

Originally posted by Churdington:

How can you get immersed in the world if you're reading a guide that tells you what to do next, and you know whats going to happen before it happens? Aren't you robbing yourself of what the game has to offer?

Isn't it similar to reading the script of a movie before watching it? Won't the person who has never seen a spoiler enjoy that movie more than you? Isn't it the same with story and exploration based games? Isn't that the whole reason we call it "spoiling" in the first place? Because it literally spoils the experience?

None of this matters, unless you're legitimately trying to understand, and not just setting up anti-game guide rhetoric. People could use guides for magazine perk locations, bobbleheads, enemy stats, etc. Not necessarily story spoilers. The reasons for using a guide are probably different on a case by case basis, but the overarching point is, if that's how they have fun playing their GAME, then bully for them. If you need rationalizing past "they like it" then you're never going to be satisfied with any answer.

[Churd]

Sometimes we're tempted to do things that we think will enhance our experience, but those things wind up diminishing it instead. We can even become addicted to doing that.

Its tempting for a lot of people to cheat, just as an example, but doing so reduces the overall experience in whatever they are doing. And, and I'm saying this lightly, using guides is very similar to that. Its tempting to cheat our way to victory and power, but then its not as enjoyable to obtain or even as enjoyable to possess. It felt like it would be more enjoyable.

As an example: "I want that fancy weapon now! I want to get that quest done now! I want to know where everything is now!"

But then they get it, and they ruined the whole process by spoiling it. Now they have that fancy weapon before they should have, now enemies are a breeze, the game's longevity is shortened, and things become boring much faster.

They wind up ruining the journey towards their goal. Then they reach their goal and find out that it was the journey that was the key part all along, the goal is short-lived and less exciting than the journey towards it, thus the over-all value of the game is diminished.

Not to mention they've robbed themselves of a lot of emotional aspects of not knowing what comes next, and actually being surprised by what you find, and emotionally involved in your choices since you don't know the outcome.

[paugus]

Originally posted by Churdington:

A lot of bare assertions

You're demonstrating an inability to view this from anything other than your own perspective. You're not ever going to understand other people's motivations until you're capable of and willing to do that. At this point it sounds like you're just sermonizing, trying to convert the lost sheep back to the flock.

[Churd]

Originally posted by paugus:

Originally posted by Churdington:

A lot of bare assertions

You're demonstrating an inability to view this from anything other than your own perspective. You're not ever going to understand other people's motivations until you're capable of and willing to do that. At this point it sounds like you're just sermonizing, trying to convert the lost sheep back to the flock.

No one has stated any motivations for using a guide, or how it could enhance their experience on first playthrough.

[paugus]

Originally posted by Churdington:

No one has stated any motivations for using a guide, or how it could enhance their experience on first playthrough.

And yet here you are, frantically trying to rebut their non-existant arguments. You've had no trouble putting words in your target audience's mouths up to this point, why stop now? Make some arguments up, just like you assigned emotional reward value to everyone. "We can even become addicted to doing that"

Mr. Royal We.

[obamafish]

Not sure about this guide, but the one made for Fallout 3 contained new bits and pieces of lore that ended up to be considered "canon" or "semi-canon" by some[fallout.wikia.com], alongside with plenty of flavor text and descriptions of in-game locations . So, if you're a canon buff, or just like reading thorough travel guide books, you may (probably) have a reason to get it.

[Churd]

Originally posted by paugus:

Originally posted by Churdington:

No one has stated any motivations for using a guide, or how it could enhance their experience on first playthrough.

And yet here you are, frantically trying to rebut their non-existant arguments. You've had no trouble putting words in your target audience's mouths up to this point, why stop now? Make some arguments up, just like you assigned emotional reward value to everyone. "We can even become addicted to doing that"

Mr. Royal We.

You're contributing nothing to the topic of discussion.

Originally posted by undercat:

Not sure about this guide, but the one made for Fallout 3 contained new bits and pieces of lore that ended up to be considered "canon" or "semi-canon" by some[fallout.wikia.com], alongside with plenty of flavor text and descriptions of in-game locations . So, if you're a canon buff, or just like reading thorough travel guide books, you may (probably) have a reason to get it.

Nice, I wasn't aware of that. I still hold pretty firm that spoiling events beore they take place seems to be counter-intuitive to the game's style. Extra lore is a great reason to read through the guide after experiencing the world without spoilers, though.