What mechanic/feature have your resigned yourself to suffer through to enjoy your favorite genre?

[Bansi]

For example, I love ARPGs. But I completely despise the metric tons of crap loot they throw at you and the tedious inventory management that requires. But it's pretty much an integral part of these games, so I suffer through it. Some games even have mechanics to alleviate the suffering. Torchlight 2 lets you put a bunch of loot in your pet's inventory and then send them to the town to auto-sell it. Which is nice but it doesn't really solve the core problem. I still have to sort through all the inventory to figure out which ones to keep, which to sell, and so on.

On top of that, some games will give you loot that seems useless but is crucial for something specific in the late game. And they won't tell you this. So you sell the loot. Then you find out you need those 50 blood-blossoms you sold ten hours ago to craft the armor of the penitent or some such shit. And then the game will make you laboriously farm those blossoms for hours.

The price of loving this genre is high. But I pay it.

What's yours?

 

[Ravelle]

Not really a genre but it took me a break and some time to have the parrying system from Metal Gear Rising click for me, but once it did and I got the timing down for most enemies that game became really satisfying.

 

[Jimnymebob]

I know it's a big part of why they work, but I really don't care for stamina in Souls games.

 

[Menchin]

Also ARPGs, but for me it's the crafting systems. I hate ARPG crafting systems with every fiber of my being. Also Path of Exile is one of my favorite games, and it has probably one of the most eldritch, unknowable, arcane crafting systems I've ever seen in any game of any genre, and you're basically required to engage with it if you want to be halfway decent at the game

 

[Bansi]

Also ARPGs, but for me it's the crafting systems. I hate ARPG crafting systems with every fiber of my being. Also Path of Exile is one of my favorite games, and it has probably one of the most eldritch, unknowable, arcane crafting systems I've ever seen in any game of any genre, and you're basically required to engage with it if you want to be halfway decent at the game

Click to shrink...

 

[PlanetSmasher]

The worst part/core mechanic of one of my favorite games is this:

It should be obvious why.

 

[Tsumami]

Simple inputs in fighting games. The implementation in some games leads to some pretty obnoxious stuff but it is what it is at this point.

 

[PJTierney]

All the FOMO mechanics and rewards in Forza 😔

 

[PallasKitten]

Grinding, and missables, in JRPGs. Thankfully, grinding usually isn't too much of a thing in more modern JRPGs any more, but the necessity still arises now and again, especially in strategy RPGs.

And as for missables, I tend to combat that by using guides/walkthroughs, depending on the game. If it's something I don't mind missing things in, and/or it's not too important to obtain EVERYTHING, I'll usually play them blind. But then there's games like the Suikoden series, where you need to recruit all 108 characters for the best ending usually, and it's often not clear how to recruit a lot of characters (and many are missable after a certain point), so a guide is kinda necessary, to give one example of many.

I don't really mind following a guide/walkthrough for games, sometimes I actually quite enjoy it and the commentary the guide writer makes. But there's some guides I don't particularly enjoy reading (the ones that explain everything that happened in cutscenes and dialogue at length for example, I don't need to read what I literally just saw for myself), and I do generally feel like I have more fun with games when I play them blind. I prefer having to just look things up when I genuinely get stuck or am curious about something, but conversely there's some games I would probably feel too overwhelmed or stressed about missing things (especially since I rarely replay JRPGs) to play without a walkthrough.

 

[Cronogear]

Crafting in like every genre

 

[Genesius]

Crafting in survival horror games.

I'll do it, sure. It's usually only something like herbs or gunpowder or something

But just leave a box of bullets around. That's okay. You can do that.

 

[JusDoIt]

Cinematic supers in fighting games.

Wrap that shit up.

 

[JumbiePrime]

Cinematic supers in fighting games.

Wrap that shit up.

Click to shrink...

I have a love hate relationship with them . Some of them I think look awesome and would hate to see them go away on the other hand it SUCKS to be on the receiving end of them .

On topic: To keep with fighting games I'll have to suffer through Drive Rush till the next patch . I don't have a problem with the idea just that in it's current implementation there is no freaking reason you should be that negative(at a disadvantage) for blocking it

 

[Hoggle]

3rd person linear games that don't telegraph when your going to lock yourself out of being able to backtrack to find collectables.

*takes the identical looking left path and a boulder rolls down and blocks the right path until the next playthrough*

 

[Sargerus]

Timegated content in World of Warcraft.

 

[Kazooie]

Not a genre, but I have suffered through the Chao in Sonic Adventure 1 and 2.

To play the chunks of good content in BotW / TotK (dungeons / shrines) I have suffered through "pockets" of emptiness, breaking weapons, at times even collection of materials.

I have suffered through grinding, resource collection, crafting in many other games as well, in some capacity.

 

[Starlatine]

Inventory management in CRPGs

Also ARPGs, but for me it's the crafting systems. I hate ARPG crafting systems with every fiber of my being. Also Path of Exile is one of my favorite games, and it has probably one of the most eldritch, unknowable, arcane crafting systems I've ever seen in any game of any genre, and you're basically required to engage with it if you want to be halfway decent at the game

Click to shrink...

or you can play ruthless/ssf and stop worrying about chasing meta and be happy

trade league people complaining about trade league problems are weird. nobodys forcing you to chase min-maxing, perfect builds. "b-but you cant even get to maps without following the top 5 builds", bs. yeah you wont be racing with ben or tytykiler any time soon, but if thats your goal, thats on you

 

[Banzai]

I love RPG mechanics. I dislike Isometric RPGs. All the good (/deep) RPGs are isometric. Bleh.

 

[Mivey]

Inventory management in CRPGs

Click to shrink...

If BG3 stopped did not have a feature to sort items via latest, plus the ability to type stuff in and filter dynamically, I would have quit halfway through

 

[Kopite]

3rd person linear games that don't telegraph when your going to lock yourself out of being able to backtrack to find collectables.

*takes the identical looking left path and a boulder rolls down and blocks the right path until the next playthrough*

Click to shrink...

I hate this too, got hit it by it twice in RE Village, that also locked out some upgrades.

 

[Bansi]

Inventory management in CRPGs

Click to shrink...

You touched a nerve. A week ago I abandoned my 100 hour game of Original Sin 2 because I got sick of inventory management, and restarted it with a solo character. Literally so I wouldn't have to deal with managing four inventories, and having to kit out my characters all over again every level. It's such a clusterfuck, and I hear it used to be worse.

There are so many times I wanted to be able to type in to search for specific loot, but the game has no search function.

On my solo char I transport most shit to Lady Vengeance, and I don't have to bother with kitting-up my character every level cause I'm playing Lone Wolf Fane Ranger, and I start and end combat without the enemy getting any turns.

 

[Starlatine]

You touched a nerve. A week ago I abandoned my 100 hour game of Original Sin 2 because I got sick of inventory management, and restarted it with a solo character. Literally so I wouldn't have to deal with managing four inventories, and having to kit out my characters all over again every level. It's such a clusterfuck, and I hear it used to be worse.

There are so many times I wanted to be able to type in to search for specific loot, but the game has no search function.

On my solo char I transport most shit to Lady Vengeance, and I don't have to bother with kitting-up my character every level cause I'm playing Lone Wolf Fane Ranger, and I start and end combat without the enemy getting any turns.

Click to shrink...

larian is a special brand of bad. part of why i dont vibe with their stuff as much as other people seem to. they picked something that was already an issue and made it even worse. how itemization and inventory works in the divinity series is a legit crime. BG3 is better but its still a pain moving items around party members and different bags

 

[Anustart]

Stick drift on every switch game.

 

[RPGam3r]

I love RPG mechanics. I dislike Isometric RPGs. All the good (/deep) RPGs are isometric. Bleh.

Click to shrink...

Wow, I'm not alone! This is me exactly. I don't like playing from that perspective, even more so when character control is indirect. Drives me up the wall.

 

[Menchin]

or you can play ruthless/ssf and stop worrying about chasing meta and be happy

trade league people complaining about trade league problems are weird. nobodys forcing you to chase min-maxing, perfect builds. "b-but you cant even get to maps without following the top 5 builds", bs. yeah you wont be racing with ben or tytykiler any time soon, but if thats your goal, thats on you

Click to shrink...

I'm not complaining about the meta or trading, I just hate the item crafting at any level of complexity, from basically guaranteed (if sometimes very grindy) Essence spam, to .1% "spend several days setting a single item up and then close your eyes and slam" crafts, but you are right that it's exacerbated entirely by my own decisions, since I do chase perfect or near-perfect gear even in SSF

 

[Starlatine]

I'm not complaining about the meta or trading, I just hate the item crafting at any level of complexity, from basically guaranteed (if sometimes very grindy) Essence spam, to .1% "spend several days setting a single item up and then close your eyes and slam" crafts, but you are right that it's exacerbated entirely by my own decisions, since I do chase perfect or near-perfect gear even in SSF

Click to shrink...

i know ruthless sound like a pain to most people, but have you tried it? when you get used to it its kinda liberating not having to care about all the stuff youre never getting anyway and just being happy to get farther and farther with each build. galaxy brain chris was right that to make the game more enjoyable you need to make it more miserable

 

[Jetsun Mila]

Limited running/running using stamina in action games.
From finally understood in Elden Ring how to do it by only taking stamina to run if you are in battle.

 

[Dervius]

Any big MP game with a battlepass.

I engage with very few of them, but Halo Infinite, Gears 5, Chivalry II, Forza etc. all had them in a big way and I just do. not. give. a. fuck.

Halo is the only one I psuedo engage with because it's so easy but I just truly don't care about any of this nonsense. I still cannot make sense of any of the Forza stuff at all but I enjoy all these games online enough to suffer through.

 

[Banzai]

Wow, I'm not alone! This is me exactly. I don't like playing from that perspective, even more so when character control is indirect. Drives me up the wall.

Click to shrink...

Totally! I just dont feel connected to the characters at all when it is isometric. I'm just glad I could zoom in BG3 and had direct control with a controller.

 

[RPGam3r]

Totally! I just dont feel connected to the characters at all when it is isometric. I'm just glad I could zoom in BG3 and had direct control with a controller.

Click to shrink...

Insert Spider-Man meme where we're pointing to each other, lol!

 

[onibirdo]

I hate fishing in games. Don't care in what shape or form, it sucks donkey dick.

 

[NekoCat]

Jump scares in horror games.

 

[ArcticWolf]

Racing games with overly verbose and enthusiastic commentators between races. Yes, dawg, thank you for the encouragement. Yes, I know I can upload my 'sick clips' to YouTube. Yes thank you I know where the next race is. Why is there now a second and third commentator? Why is there so much "airhead" dialog in a game without a story?

"Oh but you usually can mute those."
:mutes:
Game now has a series of long silent unskippable establishing shots.
"Well then."

 

[Dogui]

I love jrpgs since forever, grew up with them and even today the PS1 is my fav console because of them. I really really hate random encounters since forever as well. Really happy they're rare nowadays.

 

[Greywaren]

RPGs that don't give experience to your whole party at the same time are the bane of my existence, but I'll endure it if the game is good.

 

[Plum]

This is kind of blasphemous but the ultra-difficult bosses in Souls games, which honestly feels like most Souls bosses nowadays.

I love when I'm exploring a dangerous-yet-doable level that forces me to stay cautious, pick my fights, and pay attention to my environment. I don't love it as much when, to progress, I have to repeatedly hit my head against the proverbial walls that are the overly-long bosses with massively-inflated difficulty you find in modern Soulslike games. Especially when the majority of them play almost the exact same, being nothing more than tests of your dodging skills in flat, featureless boss rooms.

 

[Resetta Stone]

Terrible controls in survival horror games. The character is always young and fit, yet acts like they're old and can't dodge without tripping on their own feet. (which, coincidentally, theyre also wearing two concrete blocks as shoes that hinder their movement as well.)

 

[snausages]

This is kind of blasphemous but the ultra-difficult bosses in Souls games, which honestly feels like most Souls bosses nowadays.

I love when I'm exploring a dangerous-yet-doable level that forces me to stay cautious, pick my fights, and pay attention to my environment. I don't love it as much when, to progress, I have to repeatedly hit my head against the proverbial walls that are the overly-long bosses with massively-inflated difficulty you find in modern Soulslike games. Especially when the majority of them play almost the exact same, being nothing more than tests of your dodging skills in flat, featureless boss rooms.

Click to shrink...

My problem at this point isn't so much their difficulty, but the bizarrely long amount of attack pattern 'homework' that you have to do in games like Elden Ring. So many feints and ambiguous combo strings. They've sort of destroyed the feeling of satisfaction for me, where before the encounters were punishing but relatively easy to learn, just so long as you're clean in your approach. But now it feels like you have to lab these motherfuckers, or throw a (boring) summon enemy at them

At least in the new Armored Core, the act of trivialising some enemies feels like solving a puzzle rather than just pressing the 'win' button (unless it's songbirds spam which can also feel pretty similar to the mist issue I have with ER)

To be clear, I don't mind that there are ways to steamroll boss fights with ease, just that it often feels like modern FROM games are missing a middle ground that they used to have in earlier Souls and Bloodborne

(tho on BB I do agree that the vials suck, I got around it with PS Plus cloud save scumming lol)

 

[Patitoloco]

The worst part/core mechanic of one of my favorite games is this:

It should be obvious why.

Click to shrink...

What is this bottle, what game is it?

 

[Yam's]

Inventory management in crpgs is a good one. I do wonder if some players genuinely enjoy it. Like they're actually looking forward sorting all that junk when picking it up.

I've got a hard time dealing with slow dialogues. Like the last Paper Mario (that I didn't finish because of it) or Xenogears (where I used an action replay with a speed option cheat). Same when it's voiced and you cannot skip to the next line. Jrpgs can be very chatty so I hate it when you cannot advance the dialogues. Specially as they very often have a hard time just getting to the point. If a game really wanna drive me crazy, it can combo slow texts and slow animations (FFXIV I'm talking about you).

 

[PlanetSmasher]

What is this bottle, what game is it?

Click to shrink...

It's a Blood Vial from Bloodborne. One of the worst implementations of healing in any Soulsborne game ever made. The Last Faith ripped it off wholesale and it sucks there too.

 

[Patitoloco]

It's a Blood Vial from Bloodborne. One of the worst implementations of healing in any Soulsborne game ever made. The Last Faith ripped it off wholesale and it sucks there too.

Click to shrink...

Ahhh I agree, I hated the Blood Vial economy, just give me my health shots back when I die, don't make me waste souls or farm on top of dying.

 

[Forgiven Empathy]

Playing a lot of online games as my main thing, I've just had to accept there's many cosmetics I'll never get because I can't play all of them all the time.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Ahhh I agree, I hated the Blood Vial economy, just give me my health shots back when I die, don't make me waste souls or farm on top of dying.

Click to shrink...

Nothing is more fun and satisfying than losing a bunch of times in a row against the same boss, running COMPLETELY out of healing, and then having to go out into the world to grind souls to go buy more healing items. What a fun design choice!

Unsurprisingly, even From noticed how bad this was and they haven't ever brought it back since. Thank the Gods.

 

[EntelechyFuff]

I was trying to think of a unique example but the OP's already dominates my brainspace.

The point I realized that I must merely submit to this sad new reality was when Ys--Ys!--started doing it. Ys treasure had more in common with the Metroid series than the "you got treasure!" jingle...this was a series where every treasure chest you got used to be something serious and meaningful.

The first time I opened a chest in Ys Seven and got 6 bafmodad nuts or whatever I knew the war was lost.

 

[alexdotgames]

Sexism. It's really difficult to find a JRPG without misogyny or patriarchal bullshit.

 

[ap_2]

I have been playing Bravely Second for the first time and while it pains me to admit, they do class systems better than just about anyone, which makes it even more painful to sit through the awful stories, characters and clumsy "meta" nonsense they shoehorn into all their games.

 

[Orayn]

I love MMOs as "podcast games" so catching up on FFXIV's multi-hundred-hour long story goes against my every impulse for the genre.

 

[shadowman16]

Loot/gear in... well a shit ton of stuff. Crafting as well. Hardly deal breakers, but I honestly hate that shit, Id rather just be given a moves list and be good to go. Like - I adore Nioh, the newer GOW games, even Horizon FW, but the crafting/loot stuff in all three are insufferable.

Oh, and gambling as a whole in Yakuza. Not a fan. I still enjoy the mini games, but I just never really get into most of them, out of everything the games have to offer, I engage with those bits the least. Exceptions are Mahjong and Koi Koi, both of which I adore.

 

[Trey]

Challenges, weeklies that influence player behavior in multiplayer games.