How games can have less scripted encounters

[Lak14]

once again the casual wants to give ideas to make gameplay better, kind of gameplay that they will never play.

[CaptainLagbeard]

If they weren't as strictly scripted as they are, you might have to actually react to what the boss is casting or doing. Can't have that, it's too complicated for the playerbase that thinks mashing one button is a sufficient gameplay loop.

[NekoNova]

If they weren't as strictly scripted as they are, you might have to actually react to what the boss is casting or doing. Can't have that, it's too complicated for the playerbase that thinks mashing one button is a sufficient gameplay loop.

Or people with higher latency
Or disabilities
Or older people that simply can't react fast enough


God forbid they play the game as well.

[Arrius]

Or people with higher latency
Or disabilities
Or older people that simply can't react fast enough


God forbid they play the game as well.

That is why failing mechanics is generally not punishable on the first miss - You get a few 'passes' until those result in instant defeats.

[Tunda]

That is why failing mechanics is generally not punishable on the first miss - You get a few 'passes' until those result in instant defeats.

Currently it's around 2 or 3 passes until you die

I don't mind if it is 5 or 6 if it was random

We just need to have a mind to think not only to remember what is the current phase

We are not asking for dark souls like reaction time or iframes but we ask for something fresh

If they game has issues then fix it, you have enough money from endwalker and you spend it on lighting engine.. gameplay is as important as graphics

[Arrius]

Currently it's around 2 or 3 passes until you die

I don't mind if it is 5 or 6 if it was random

We just need to have a mind to think not only to remember what is the current phase

We are not asking for dark souls like reaction time or iframes but we ask for something fresh

If they game has issues then fix it, you have enough money from endwalker and you spend it on lighting engine.. gameplay is as important as graphics

The Main Story is as balanced as it is, and coming over rather forgiving. Each MSQ Dungeon/Raid (aside the last) can be done with Trust NPC's.

For anything else, there are raids and alliance raids. Which are completely optional, but come with a higher difficulty and coordination requirement.

[Isseki]

As a long time wow-player, let me tell you all:

As long as this games server ticks are a thing, you dont want to have more flexible encounter mechanics.
It would be hell.

[CaptainLagbeard]

As a long time wow-player, let me tell you all:

As long as this games server ticks are a thing, you dont want to have more flexible encounter mechanics.
It would be hell.

The kind of flexibility I'd want is for that instead of just doing the same series of attacks in the same exact order, they shuffle the order they use those attacks in.
To use current fights, Acradion M3, I do believe he uses something like Raidwide, Tankbuster, Lariat, Mist, the Knockback Towers, Spin, Fuses, Lariat before his drink... Now For that first phase, he should do all those attacks, but it should use RNG to decide what order he uses them in stead of just having a completely set unchanging order.

[Mikey_R]

The kind of flexibility I'd want is for that instead of just doing the same series of attacks in the same exact order, they shuffle the order they use those attacks in.
To use current fights, Acradion M3, I do believe he uses something like Raidwide, Tankbuster, Lariat, Mist, the Knockback Towers, Spin, Fuses, Lariat before his drink... Now For that first phase, he should do all those attacks, but it should use RNG to decide what order he uses them in stead of just having a completely set unchanging order.

There are other considerations to make. If you have scripted encounters, you can make things come off quicker or more easily combo mechanics together, whereas if they are random, you need to allow more time for the player to parse and react to what is going on.

Then there are things like casters movement capabilities. It will be harder for them to plan them all out and if they get unlucky and 2 movement heavy mechanics happen back to back, they might be forced to drop casting altogether to complete the mechanic.

This isn't to say they couldn't do it, but if they put restrictions on how often a mechanic can go off due to said factors, it can lead to fights that get more scripted as you go along as there are less places they can go. Of course, you could just ignore that and say casters just have to deal with it, but then you either potentially don't bring casters (except SMN) or you are just waiting for the run where the RNG lines up.

[PyurBlue]

There are other considerations to make. If you have scripted encounters, you can make things come off quicker or more easily combo mechanics together, whereas if they are random, you need to allow more time for the player to parse and react to what is going on.

Then there are things like casters movement capabilities. It will be harder for them to plan them all out and if they get unlucky and 2 movement heavy mechanics happen back to back, they might be forced to drop casting altogether to complete the mechanic.

This also comes down to class and fight design. Casters have movement tools. Even BLM has enough to handle a few unexpected mechanics. If FF shuffled mechanics to be truly random in existing content that would strain casters, but we could also step away from complex puzzle like mechanics or space them out.

I completely agree with you that the simple route of making everything a dice roll has problems, but we don't limit ourselves to only doing that I think it opens up a lot more possibilities. Class abilities should probably be tweaked in response too and move away from totally rigid rotations. They wouldn't have to be completely free form but they would need some amount of flexibility built in. I'm in favor of that even if content stays the same.

This isn't to say they couldn't do it, but if they put restrictions on how often a mechanic can go off due to said factors, it can lead to fights that get more scripted as you go along as there are less places they can go. Of course, you could just ignore that and say casters just have to deal with it, but then you either potentially don't bring casters (except SMN) or you are just waiting for the run where the RNG lines up.

Major mechanics absolutely would need some kind of restriction. In a purely random setting you could encounter something like an infinite loop of M2 hearts. Pure randomization might be better used on smaller and less complex mechanics like stacks, raidwides, TB's while major mechanics are space out and perhaps just swapped in order.

If SE were to seriously consider revamping fights it would probably be best to limit it to a dedicated zone at first like Eureka or Bozja. That would let the devs and players experiment while also avoiding the need to revamp old content or disrupt current content grinding.