gaming Random encounters vs visible encounters

[Discordian 6,015]

As we know, RPGs have two different kinds of encounters. Random encounters where you can't see the enemy until before the battle and visible encounters where the enemies roam the field and you engange in battle by touching them and they are always in the same place no matter how many times you go through the dungeon.

 

For examples of Random Encounters look at: Final Fantasy I through X-2, Star Ocean 1 and 2, Legend of Dragoon

 

For examples of visible encounters look at: Baten Kaitos, Eternal Sonata, Kingdom Hearts

 

Now the question is this: Which one do you prefer and why?

 

Personally I have no real preference as long as the encounter rate isn't ridiculously high.

Edited April 12, 2012 by Raronoopa

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

Khrm.

 

Acshually, I'd prefer if my games were up to par. And not made with sub-par technology.

There is no reason why enemies should not be visible.

Only reason that was implemented in first place ages ago was due to hardware limits.

 

And I'd rather take a nice looking 3D model over a "HAVE A EPILEPSY SEIZURE GAMER! OUR TREAT, WE CANNOT MAKE GOOD GAMES LOL" screen.

[Twiliscael 3,960]

Random. More replayablility and fun in my all important opinion.

[Discordian 6,015]

Khrm.

 

Acshually, I'd prefer if my games were up to par. And not made with sub-par technology.

There is no reason why enemies should not be visible.

Only reason that was implemented in first place ages ago was due to hardware limits.

 

And I'd rather take a nice looking 3D model over a "HAVE A EPILEPSY SEIZURE GAMER! OUR TREAT, WE CANNOT MAKE GOOD GAMES LOL" screen.

 

True enough but there's one thing that visible encounters have as a negative. Now keep in mind it's not always a negative for everyone but for me but when I see visible enemies I have a tendency to want to avoid them. I know I need to stay properly leveled and all but it's a habit coming from other genres that I try to avoid the enemies so I don't get hurt. lol

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

True enough but there's one thing that visible encounters have as a negative. Now keep in mind it's not always a negative for everyone but for me but when I see visible enemies I have a tendency to want to avoid them. I know I need to stay properly leveled and all but it's a habit coming from other genres that I try to avoid the enemies so I don't get hurt. lol

 

No, you must gather ALL the loot.

That's the point in RPGs for me. And you can actually CLEAR dungeons of enemies if you aim for that 100% with properly made visible encounters.

And some of those games actually have patrols assigned to those mobs, making the world seem alive.

Compared to the flat and dead worlds of Random Encounters.

That's immersion right there.

And RPG being a RPG, it needs immersion.

 

And what would Dark Souls be with "Epilepsy Time!" screens?

[Bunni 1,075]

I prefer visible encounters due to the fact that I rage after I take 5 steps after a random encounter just to get caught up in another one. Eviiill...

[Discordian 6,015]

No, you must gather ALL the loot.

That's the point in RPGs for me. And you can actually CLEAR dungeons of enemies if you aim for that 100% with properly made visible encounters.

And some of those games actually have patrols assigned to those mobs, making the world seem alive.

Compared to the flat and dead worlds of Random Encounters.

That's immersion right there.

And RPG being a RPG, it needs immersion.

 

And what would Dark Souls be with "Epilepsy Time!" screens?

 

I'm no completionist. I try to get all the loot in a dungeon, yes, but I don't wanna do nothing but fight the entire dungeon. That's the problem with visible encounters is there is usually considerably more of them and if you wanna fight all of them you'll spend at least three times as much time on that dungeon than you would normally.

 

Mind you, this isn't the case with all visible encounters and it kinda depends on the length of the battles, but it can be a little frustrating when you wanna see the story.

 

I mean, I agree Demon's/Dark Souls would be a totally different game with random encounters but that game is also different completely from other games within it's genre. It's so extremely different that it probably shouldn't be used in a discussion between random and visible even though it is an a perfect example of visible encounters done right.

 

The difference between them is that Dark Souls is like Kingdom Hearts where there is no transition to a different battle screen so it's a little different from the visible encounters of say...Eternal Sonata.

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

I'm no completionist. I try to get all the loot in a dungeon, yes, but I don't wanna do nothing but fight the entire dungeon. That's the problem with visible encounters is there is usually considerably more of them and if you wanna fight all of them you'll spend at least three times as much time on that dungeon than you would normally.

 

70%-90% of RPGs content IS fighting,

 

The difference between boring turn-based *GRIND.EXE* and fluent real-time like Tales of Vesperia.

IF the fighting is good, you LIKE to do it. If not, it's a poor game in the first place.

 

Mind you, this isn't the case with all visible encounters and it kinda depends on the length of the battles, but it can be a little frustrating when you wanna see the story.

 

It's not going anywhere.

I spend 300 hours on Star Ocean 4 before "Completing" it. Cause the combat was good.

Story was REALLY bad and I wanted to strangle half of the cast.

 

I mean, I agree Demon's/Dark Souls would be a totally different game with random encounters but that game is also different completely from other games within it's genre. It's so extremely different that it probably shouldn't be used in a discussion between random and visible even though it is an a perfect example of visible encounters done right.

 

"...even though it is an a perfect example of visible encounters done right."

Yes, yes it is. And that's why I brought it up.

 

It's a RPG. It has visible encounters.

 

Eternal Sonata.

 

That game was just bad lol. Compare to equals, not to worse.

[Discordian 6,015]

I know that RPGs are mostly fighting but the point is that if you are spending so much time on fighting that you are missing out on making progress then it's frustrating. I'm all for long RPGs, I'm all for RPGs with lots of fighting, but when the ratio of fighting to dungeon progression is "Oh there's an enemy right there, I should fight it" and there's at least three or four enemies in each room compared to random encounters that can be two or three in each room at most, depending on encounter rates of course, and if you fight them all you spend a huge amount of time fighting and it gets tedious.

 

I like battles whether they are random or visible but what I hate is tedium. The reason I'm not a completionist is because of this, I hate having to redo things over and over to find something I missed or because the enemies keep killing me, I hate searching every corner of an area just to find that coin I may have missed, I hate battling every enemy in a game just because it's there, I'd rather have the game decide when I fight instead of me feeling the obligation to run away or fight every enemy.

 

lol I know it sounds like I'm all for random encounters with the way I say it but I honestly have no real preference. I just have arguments for both sides. xD

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

I can run Tales of Vesperia chapters 1 thru 7, Star Ocean : Last Hope up to planet 3 and Dark Souls up to Sen's Fort without fighting nothing else besides bosses.

 

You can't do that with random encounters.

 

(But I'd die in Star Ocean cause underleveled.)

Edited April 12, 2012 by Libertina Kohr-Ah

[Discordian 6,015]

Oh yeah? Look at Final Fantasy IX. That game is made so it can be beaten without getting any experience and it's totally random encounters.

[Lord Sprixx 261]

I am an RPG fan boy, I grew up on random encounters and I loved it. I still like visible encounters but I will always prefer the random ones. Also makes for some nice exp grinding, hehe.

[Chigens and Kay 3,832]

I prefer both, being an RPG enthusiast.

 

Depends on the gameplay and interface.

 

Games like Final Fantasy 1-whatever, for instance, are pretty amazing with their random encounters. They do throw some visible encounters in there though, so you can be prepared for a tough fight.

 

Games like Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the only kind of battle in that game were Visible Encounters. You could have avoided them all if you preferred, yet you would be at a disadvantage due to lack of experience.

 

Doesn't really matter to me at all. If the gameplay is good I couldn't care less what kind of encounters there are...

[Discordian 6,015]

I prefer both, being an RPG enthusiast.

 

Depends on the gameplay and interface.

 

Games like Final Fantasy 1-whatever, for instance, are pretty amazing with their random encounters. They do throw some visible encounters in there though, so you can be prepared for a tough fight.

 

Games like Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the only kind of battle in that game were Visible Encounters. You could have avoided them all if you preferred, yet you would be at a disadvantage due to lack of experience.

 

Doesn't really matter to me at all. If the gameplay is good I couldn't care less what kind of encounters there are...

 

This is generally how I feel. I am an RPG lover. I love RPGs of all kinds and it doesn't matter what type of battle system it has, encounter system or ability system. (Though I do prefer when the game focuses on abilities you can customize and get in special ways like Shadow Hearts or Final Fantasy IX rather than being just getting abilities through progression which is just boring and means you can't abuse the system early in the game)

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

Oh yeah? Look at Final Fantasy IX. That game is made so it can be beaten without getting any experience and it's totally random encounters.

 

I know. An exception to rule.

 

Combat is the main content anyway in RPGs. Visible encounters allow for more flexibility on how the gamer approaches the game.

It's better system as far as encounters are involved.

 

Besides, most visible encounter games allow you to bunch those mobs up for a Ad-Hoc boss fight of you want a real challenge.

[Discordian 6,015]

You have the option to run away from random encounters and in most games they don't give you a huge hassle for doing it. lol

[letterone 1,204]

I HATE random encounters, especially if they're too frequent. I just freaking DESPISE taking a stroll through the fields and getting bombarded with enemies, RPG-style or not. So I'll have to go with visible encounters.

Edited April 12, 2012 by letterONE

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

You have the option to run away from random encounters and in most games they don't give you a huge hassle for doing it. lol

 

Same with Visible. It's not Random exclusive feature.

[Ron Jeremy 2,032]

I prefer random encounters.

 

While visual encounters may have their benefits, they make the game too easy. All party members about to die and you need to get back to town? Just don't walk into enemies. Want a drop from a certain enemy? Just avoid all other overworld models until you see the one you want. Don't like those mages that keep flattening your ill-prepared party? Just ignore them.

 

However, with random encounters, you're expected to think ahead and prepare. To equip elemental resistance equips so those mages can't kill you as easily, instead of just running away. Just like how it really would be if you were going through a monster-filled dungeon, you can't go "Hmm, I don't like fighting Horks. I'll just ignore every one I see and only fight the weaker Magidrackies!".

 

Not only that, but grinding in visible encounter games is a pain. You can't just run back and forth for a battle. You have to hunt down enemies, and depending on the game, back in and out of the room to make them reappear.

 

Just my opinion.

Edited April 12, 2012 by King K. Roop

[Discordian 6,015]

That's also true.

 

I just don't make that big of a fuss over it most of the time. Random encounter, visible encounter, yer still playing the game and enjoying it. There are few games where it even makes a difference whether it's random or visible because you will still be entering a totally different screen for battle than the field.

[Chigens and Kay 3,832]

One thing I hated about random encounters was in Final Fantasy X-2 when you had to go through Mushroom Rock Road, the Thunder Plains, or that one huge field place...

 

Also, more games should have the system that Earthbound had. Where, if you are a high enough level, you have a harder time encountering lower level enemies. Which saves alot of time from fighting 1 EXP scrubs...

[Ron Jeremy 2,032]

One thing I hated about random encounters was in Final Fantasy X-2 when you had to go through Mushroom Rock Road, the Thunder Plains, or that one huge field place...

 

Also, more games should have the system that Earthbound had. Where, if you are a high enough level, you have a harder time encountering lower level enemies. Which saves alot of time from fighting 1 EXP scrubs...

 

This. Earthbound's system was amazing. Enemy way too weak to even stand a chance of fighting you? The screen flashes and it just instaKOs.

 

Always thought that feature should be more popular than it is.

[Discordian 6,015]

There are games with features like that, usually through abilities or equipment. Sometimes it's the opposite.

 

Final Fantasy VIII has an ability that cuts out all random encounters if it's equipped. This makes it possible to avoid enemies in areas that won't benefit you. (In FFVIII every enemy in the game scales with you when you level so there's no such thing as low level enemies to avoid)

 

Some games have equipment that will raise your chances of fighting stronger enemies instead of weaker ones while other ones will raise the power of the enemies so they are all super strong but you also get more experience for them. I forget what game it was that did that but the equipment was called the Champion's Ring I think. xD

[Street Comedy 327]

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I'd take visible encounters please. Coming from a Mother and M&L fan.

[HomuraBL 851]

Why don't we have both? *Mexican fiesta!*

 

In all seriousness, I don't really care.