I feel like it’s often bad game design from developers who think they need to put in consumables without understanding their gameplay value.
In too many games using up all your consumables is just A Thing That Happens. So the game is balanced to allow you to survive anyway. But then the corollary is that if it works for a bit then you can finish the game without using any of the consumables. The consumables are just a way to make already achievable portions of the game easier, which is just sloppy game design IMO. Bethesda games for instance are very guilty of that.
Agreed there, personally though I do feel one of the biggest silly combinations games often make is, having marathon grade health, easy access to health potions AND a save anytime system. It’s like I could use a potion to heal up… or I could go back 5 seconds and do the fight without taking a hit.
![[InkyRickshaw] Hoarding](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/c8642f07-c60d-4205-94f5-e854121e8a1a.jpeg){kind=link}
“Better save these elixirs for the last boss.” Proceeds to beat the game without using them
I feel like it’s often bad game design from developers who think they need to put in consumables without understanding their gameplay value.
In too many games using up all your consumables is just A Thing That Happens. So the game is balanced to allow you to survive anyway. But then the corollary is that if it works for a bit then you can finish the game without using any of the consumables. The consumables are just a way to make already achievable portions of the game easier, which is just sloppy game design IMO. Bethesda games for instance are very guilty of that.
At least when I’m playing Bethesda games, potions are a way for me to clear achievable portions that I’ve made unnecessarily difficult for myself.
There really should be an achievement for this.
Also fuck games that make you consume a potion so you know that’s how potions work.
That NPC handed me a potion and it’s my prerogative to carry it around for the rest of the game.
Agreed there, personally though I do feel one of the biggest silly combinations games often make is, having marathon grade health, easy access to health potions AND a save anytime system. It’s like I could use a potion to heal up… or I could go back 5 seconds and do the fight without taking a hit.