It's not a problem if it's barely noticeable. I can't remember the last it's bothered me in a game. Ds2? But I try to forget that game as much as possible so who can remember?
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How do you feel about weapon durability in games?
- Thread starter balgajo
- Start date
The BotW durability complaints always seemed so weird. Do you hate when you use up ammo in a shooter, too? The weapons are meant to be used in a fight, because you get weapons in return, and the more you fight the better weapons that show up.
I typically dislike it.
I tolerated it in BotW but I do think it's way too harsh. A weapon passed down generations shouldn't break in a few dozen swings. I understand that the mechanic is there to keep you from sticking to the same few weapons the whole game, but I do think things break too fast. Still loved the game, though.
I tolerated it in BotW but I do think it's way too harsh. A weapon passed down generations shouldn't break in a few dozen swings. I understand that the mechanic is there to keep you from sticking to the same few weapons the whole game, but I do think things break too fast. Still loved the game, though.
Weapon durability is garbage in almost all cases. A major annoyance.
I can sort of see how the "feature" is justified in Breath of the Wild, where you're constantly picking up and discarding weapons. But in a game like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim, exactly what am I supposed to get out of babysitting my weapons and armor with dull, repetitive upkeep just to keep their stats up?
I don't play video games for simulated defects. I play to have fun with good mechanics.
I can sort of see how the "feature" is justified in Breath of the Wild, where you're constantly picking up and discarding weapons. But in a game like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim, exactly what am I supposed to get out of babysitting my weapons and armor with dull, repetitive upkeep just to keep their stats up?
I don't play video games for simulated defects. I play to have fun with good mechanics.
Legit Dark Souls 3 was the first game that came to mind for me (I'm nearing the end of my platinum trophy run). It's meaningless in this game, while it had a real impact on DS1 since bonfires didn't regen weapon durability. You had to either go to a Smith or buy a repair kit, and either way you went you had to spend souls to repair gear. It mattered. And iirc if something actually broke, you had to take it to a Smith no matter what. In 143 hours of dark souls 3, I haven't had a single piece of gear break.
BOTW is largely considered one of the greatest games of all time and the weapon durability was such a nuisance that I burned out on the game before even reaching the first real temple and never played it again. To give you an idea of how much I am willing to put up with, I have completed NARC, yes the bargain bin GTA clone with Bill Bellamy and I could not finish BOTW because the weapon system is an abhorrent chore.
Usually hate it. One of the big reasons that BotW is my least favorite 3D Zelda and the only one I'll *never* replay.
I've never actually "liked" it in anything. I either tolerate it in stuff like more recent Souls where it doesn't really matter or it actively makes the game worse like in Zelda.
I've never actually "liked" it in anything. I either tolerate it in stuff like more recent Souls where it doesn't really matter or it actively makes the game worse like in Zelda.
Now I remembered where it annoyed me a lot. Far Cry 2!
Guns were breaking waaay to fast, and you had not many of them. But otherwise I would have liked it.
And there are definitely some games where I thought it was implemented very well, or being an important part of the design, setting, balance etc.
Dead Rising
Dying Light
Breath of the Wild
Death Stranding
Monster Hunter
Condemned
They all did it in a good way, in my opinion.
Guns were breaking waaay to fast, and you had not many of them. But otherwise I would have liked it.
And there are definitely some games where I thought it was implemented very well, or being an important part of the design, setting, balance etc.
Dead Rising
Dying Light
Breath of the Wild
Death Stranding
Monster Hunter
Condemned
They all did it in a good way, in my opinion.
Don't certain weapons in Dark Souls 1&2 use up durability as a sort of "ammo" for their special R2 attacks?
Don't mind it. It's used well in BotW. The game throws a fuckton of the same weapons at you anyways as you progress so no point getting too attached. Best to just fuck about with the shit you do have and get into the mindset of using the weapons of enemies against them. Link is the real weapon. Game's combat opens up way more that way. By the time you're done, you should have a fuckton of Royal Claymores, Ancient Weapons and Crushers dropping regularly to burn through.
Dislike it for the most part, I just never really use my best stuff if doing so will destroy it. If I can just repair my weapons or get so many it doesn't matter, I'd rather just not have to deal with durability at all.
Though I like it or when you have very limited ammo and supplies in survival or horror games, only exception really.
Though I like it or when you have very limited ammo and supplies in survival or horror games, only exception really.
I wouldn't say I ever liked the weapon durability mechanic, but to be honest I don't mind it.
There's so many weapons lying around in BOTW that running out of weapons is rarely a problem. This really only happens if you stumble upon and decide to fight a big boss monster unprepared. The durability mechanic at least forces you to use a variety of weapons.
In the Fire Emblem series, weapons are readily available and some games allow you to repair them, so I don't feel like weapon durability was ever a problem. It basically forces you to save your super-powerful, low-durability weapons for the bosses.
There's so many weapons lying around in BOTW that running out of weapons is rarely a problem. This really only happens if you stumble upon and decide to fight a big boss monster unprepared. The durability mechanic at least forces you to use a variety of weapons.
In the Fire Emblem series, weapons are readily available and some games allow you to repair them, so I don't feel like weapon durability was ever a problem. It basically forces you to save your super-powerful, low-durability weapons for the bosses.
Like most things in games it depends. In my experience it amounts to very little in the games it's in or I just tend to play in a style that has me finishing the game with repair kits coming out my arse. Had so much weapon and armour parts in The Outer Worlds it was silly. Same with The Witcher 3 - had repair kits stored in my chest as I had so many. Can't think of a game where it didn't become negligible really. So I see why they do it - you pay attention to it at the start but, assuming you can fix weapons in the game, it becomes nothing.
I hate it. It is not fun. Get rid of it from my game. That and encumberance.
At the very least, give us the option to turn them off and on so role players can still have them.
At the very least, give us the option to turn them off and on so role players can still have them.
I actually enjoy durability in most games (same with mechanics like encumbrance, inventory management, etc). It's usually there for balancing purposes and to encourage you to use weapons in the right situation. It's great in BOTW and fire emblem. Heck I kinda liked it in Dark Souls 2 where they added tools that can either damage your durability or repair it on the fly. Some special moves even use up durability iirc. Honestly durability is way too generous and not punishing in most games.
I will never understand this notion, its an integral part of the game and was done very well and gave the fights a tactical touch. Besides there are many ways to get rid of enemies, not only weapons.
I love it, it's immersive and it made me want to take care of my shit.
It gives in-game item weight, makes them more believable. It makes me not want to hit any wall or rocks with my sword, as you would if you ever used a camping knife to start a fire, you know you want to keep the edge away from hard wood or rocks.
I love degradation in pretty much every game, Dark Souls, Fallout, BOTW, Death Stranding etc. It gives in-game objects LIFE, it makes me treat them like real objects. It makes me want to minimize unnecessary wear, it also forces to me bring extra weapon or gadgets in case my main one breaks, which makes the gameplay deeper and more interesting.
Seriously, If you don't like that, just mod it out or play a different game. No point calling it a bad design just because you're not into that sort of thing.
It gives in-game item weight, makes them more believable. It makes me not want to hit any wall or rocks with my sword, as you would if you ever used a camping knife to start a fire, you know you want to keep the edge away from hard wood or rocks.
I love degradation in pretty much every game, Dark Souls, Fallout, BOTW, Death Stranding etc. It gives in-game objects LIFE, it makes me treat them like real objects. It makes me want to minimize unnecessary wear, it also forces to me bring extra weapon or gadgets in case my main one breaks, which makes the gameplay deeper and more interesting.
Seriously, If you don't like that, just mod it out or play a different game. No point calling it a bad design just because you're not into that sort of thing.
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I don't like it generally, specially if it's too often it becomes obnoxious. I rarely find it adding anything to a game, since most of the time you just need to get yourself to a workshop and click something for it to be repaired, so what's the point? If the weapons are discardable, you end up with a lot of junk if you don't pay a lot of attention to what you're bringing or not.
In Dark Souls 2 and I liked it since; it had me manage my inventory during long level progressions/boss fights, added the <end> command for certain gameplay loops.
In some roguelikes and hardcore survivals I can live with it. In "normal" games like BOTW it's just annoying to me.
BoTW's application is pretty much gun ammo. I have no problem with it. Durability in Dark Souls is pretty meaningless though, it's just souls upkeep on a bonfire. Durability is a must have mechanic in sandbox games as a economy sink and let average armor be useful by the fact everything eventually degrades and they are cost efficient.
The only, ONLY, time it has EVER been anything other than an annoyance is in Fallout 3 (and probably NV too, can't remember).
It suits that world very well where everything is in decay and has to be cobbled together. Plus, the fact that you take duplicates of the same weapon to use their parts for repairs is just logical and I'm surprised other games haven't copied it. It helps you cut down on inventory bloat, it makes you really consider when/how to use rarer weapons, and it just makes sense.
It suits that world very well where everything is in decay and has to be cobbled together. Plus, the fact that you take duplicates of the same weapon to use their parts for repairs is just logical and I'm surprised other games haven't copied it. It helps you cut down on inventory bloat, it makes you really consider when/how to use rarer weapons, and it just makes sense.