Game Save and Loading Poll

[Sotha]

Just out of curiosity, how do people generally play TDM?

 

I've seen let's play videos where the player saves and loads constantly.

 

What is the predominant save/load behavior and why?

[Obsttorte]

I voted "If things get messy". I don't load everytime when I have to kill an ai, though. But if I have to kill several in a mission that is maybe not too big or If I would have to hide for a long time, I mostly prefer to load. Well, this doesn't happen very often.

 

I guess the main reason is that having only a couple of AI in a mission can fastly break the immersion and take the fun. That's why I also avoid knocking out every AI in a mission, it just gets boring.

 

I don't think TDM is too difficult overall. The difficulty is something controlled by the mapper, and overall I think that TDM missions are a bit too easy in general.

[Oldjim]

Voted

I usually (always) play on the hardest difficulty and ghosting (objective or optional objective) is often required.

The only mission where frequent loading/saving was really needed was the Heart of Lone Salvation to achieve the optional objective of not being seen at all

[zergrush]

I don't think TDM is too difficult overall. The difficulty is something controlled by the mapper, and overall I think that TDM missions are a bit too easy in general.

 

I kind of agree with this, although the new AI developments might finally be a game changer. Personally I find myself avoiding to kill or even blackjack anyone. I wish equipment was more restricted in single missions (selection menus make more sense in continuous campaigns) and that more missions did the "no kills and/or limited amount of knockouts" thing on expert difficulty. Acing a mission without having to hurt anyone is what really makes me feel great on stealth games. That or having dire consequences for killing someone. I also think the stealth score boards at the end of the mission should use an A to F system in order to motivate the player to strive for perfection.

Edited March 26, 2013 by zergrush

[jaxa]

3-2-6

 

If I set off a ton of alerts I generally find it harder to get away than Thief I/II, so I'll just reload and try to ghost better. But I don't have a problem with being seen if I can recover from it and it makes for an exciting chase. I'd also rather have fun making mistakes while trying to ghost than try to "iron man" the mission. In the past I've liked to knock out every guard, but more recently I tend to ghost if possible.

[STiFU]

To me, ghosting alone is boring over time but reacting to the AI in different scenarious is interesting and challenging, so I load only if I die or AI got buggy.

[Jinix]

Just out of curiosity, how do people generally play TDM?

 

I've seen let's play videos where the player saves and loads constantly.

 

What is the predominant save/load behavior and why?

 

My two cents:

Okay I 'm new to TDM but an old Thief player from the good old days.

I've only had TDM for a week or two and played about 8 or 9 missions so far.

Here's exactly how I play :

 

Start the mission and save immediately.

Find the first place to break in /climb up etc., and save .

Knock out or sneak by a hard area and save.

I always save the long way and name my saves.

Never use quicksave as it takes me longer to find on the key board then Esc.

 

I save quite often because there is nothing worse than achieving a goal after a very diffulcult sneak/climb etc., than getting killed and having to start from the beginning.

I play in the dark and fumble all the time trying to locate the right keyboard keys for crouching, running, creeping, jumping, stealing, weapon changing, lockpicking and all the rest. Which means I meet disaster more often.

So I save alot maybe 10 times or even more on some missions.

When I forget to save and a half hour has passed and suddenly get caught and killed. I smack my head at my stupidity for NOT saving.

I am quite proud of the fact I save a lot it shows how safety concious I am and I certainly don't feel I should be penalized for wanting to save my game.

 

It's a fine line between producing a game for hardcore gamers and making it enjoyable for casual players. It's already much more difficult to play than Thief1/2 were. For instance now the guards have hard hats and when you do finally ko them it can be a lesson in frustration just to hide their bodies.

Making all the stats optional for those that want to tally up their scores and use for bragging rights is cool. But I don't feel that it should be a requirement. The day that I find a mod with a required time limit for finishing is the day I stop playing them. But others will love it.

I like to spend a long time on every mission so I can 'see it all'. Racing around trying to 'beat' the clock doe's not sound like much fun for me.

 

The adventure is what I'm here for and the stats at the end are not all that important for me - just the actual playing of the game.

[Jinix]

Additionally:

I would rather not 'die' all the time in the game but knocked out and wake up; in jail, down a well or out on the street, weak, with all the equipment and booty taken - but alive so I can sneak in and try again.

[Springheel]

it can be a lesson in frustration just to hide their bodies.

 

Why is hiding bodies so hard? Are you picking them up?

 

I would rather not 'die' all the time in the game but knocked out and wake up; in jail, down a well or out on the street, weak, with all the equipment and booty taken - but alive so I can sneak in and try again.

 

It would be up to a mapper to set that up; in most missions it wouldn't make much sense that you could just try again after being caught, yet everything is exactly the same as last time you were there.

[Professor Paul1290]

On missions I've never played before and when recording video, I tend to quicksave occassionally as I go through a mission though I only load a save if I die or fail the mission.

If I get caught I usually just roll with it unless the mission fails or it becomes unworkable somehow.

 

If it's a mission I've already played through at least once, then I often don't save mid-mission at all and just completely restart if I die.

 

 

I almost always try to ghost as much as I can but I usually don't restart a mission if I have to take out a guard.

Usually I decide whether to KO a guard or not by deciding if I, based on what I can see, feel like I can ghost through the room or situation ten times in a row without making a mistake. If it feels like I would be able to pull it off then I'll go for it. If I'm not feeling that confident at the moment then I'll take out a guard.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Professor Paul1290

[Diego]

I tend to save often and load whenever I alert an AI. I absolutely hate when it happens though, so much that my parameter for a perfect mission is based on how many times I have to load (the less the better). The reason for this is that I get off on planning and execution, with minimum improvisation. I take my time to analyze things, maps, routes etc and then form a plan. When it works I dance with joy! when it doesn't I get frustrated and want to know why I didn't foresee that before.

 

That's why too much randomness spoils my fun a little, if they can change their behavior on the fly there is no point in analyzing them before, the only solution is to take chances and deal with the eventual bad luck. It favors a game style I'm not very fond of.

[SeriousToni]

Do you guys have an opinion why there's so many "I hate to replay parts of the mission if I die. " votes?

[jysk]

Cause it sucks. I am also someone who dont likes to redo things I have already achieved. In SP Games I save usually often and if I fail (like failing a difficult jump or so) I load. In Thief its a bit different, I dont load always when getting seen by a guard, I try to deal with the situation to a certain degree, but if things get really out of bounds (tons of AI following while i retreat through half of the level / had to kill tons of AI to clear the situation / perhaps even with breaking up scripted content), then I load. If its a tricky situation which allows no failure (getting past an important guard before a bank vault or so unseen) then I load too.

 

I think this is not because of high difficulty or so, its just that when u have achieved something which was very difficult, like getting loot from a difficult position or so, u just dont want to do it again, as u have rightfully already done it.

Edited April 1, 2013 by jysk

[Jinix]

Why is hiding bodies so hard? Are you picking them up?

It would be up to a mapper to set that up; in most missions it wouldn't make much sense that you could just try again after being caught, yet everything is exactly the same as last time you were there.

 

It's just my inexperience and my inability to use the keyboard and missing the right key. - I not only get too excited to remember which key to hit but I can't type without looking - BUT I must play in total darkness to enjoy, so I start with a handicap.

 

However I certainly don't want to give the impression that the missions are 'too hard' or should be changed because of my suggestion.

Everyway the mission maker can make the game more challenging is okay by me and it's one up for the mapper if he/she can get me ripping my hair out with frustration and screaming profanities at the author at the same time.

 

And also.... I like to have multiple saves so any time in the future I can reload at different points in a game without having to restart or having to only have a quicksave to start from.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Jinix