Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Do people ruin games (especially RPGs) for themselves, by watching too many videos?

DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
edited February 2017 in The Pub at MMORPG.COM
One of the main elements of an RPG is exploration as well as discovery. With that considered how is watching extended playthroughs, let's plays etc... Any different than having a story spoiled by giving away plot points?

Watching someone play a game is not the same as playing that game, you're breaking that feeling of discovery, you've seen what is there to be found.

I think this has a huge impact on folks when they actually get to play.  This also goes for bosses, story elements and just about everything else that is involved in RPG play...

For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


Comments

  • TillerTiller Member LegendaryPosts: 11,125
    I think some folks only watch playthroughs instead of buying the game. I mean when it comes to some story based linear path games there is no point. I know I've watched a few lets plays and decided there was no point in spending the money on something I for the most part experienced second hand
    SWG Bloodfin vet
    Elder Jedi/Elder Bounty Hunter
     
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    news at eleven..there is no discovery in games.
    The last game i played was and likely is the ONLY game right now that does not hand hold you to every single section of a game.Arrows flashing in the air,on the ground,markers on a map,it would be near impossible to NOT find your way directly to every single so called disco spot on a map.

    Games are designed for 8 year olds,yet i have seen young kids that are very bright,they don't need any hand holding,so who are devs making these games for,idk,i guess too many years studying C++ and not realizing the real world.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Tiller said:
    I think some folks only watch playthroughs instead of buying the game. I mean when it comes to some story based linear path games there is no point. I know I've watched a few lets plays and decided there was no point in spending the money on something I for the most part experienced second hand
    I just wonder how it's enjoyable to watch someone else play a game in that sense. Even in a linear story based game the whole point is playing. Not watching it as if it's a movie, as the pacing would be completely off to the viewer. You're not only watching them watch stories, you're watching them shuffle their inventory, looking at maps, reading journal entries etc. 


    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • TheScavengerTheScavenger Member EpicPosts: 3,321
    I never buy story based games. Why would you do that? Watch a Let's Play and you got all the story of the game...for...FREE

    Now games like Skyrim, Witcher 3, X3 space games, strategy games...all those are vastly better to actually play.

    Plus, games like Call of Duty have a super short singleplayer...why pay 50-60 dollars for a crappy short story? Watch it on youtube and you just got the whole experience for free :dizzy:

    Granted, if you play multiplayer...its a bit different. But if a game focuses ONLY on the story, and not a huge world to explore and tons to do, it isn't worth buying.

    My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB: 

    https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul



  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    I'll watch a game if I'm on the fence about it.  Or, If I know it's not for me but like the story line, then it's just a movie.  Watching a few hours of a game I end up playing won't bother me as I may be putting hundreds of hours into it.  So yea, the intro gets spoiled which doesn't bother me.  If it turns out to be a really good game I'll replay it a lot anyway as I'm a altoholic.

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514
    Aori said:
    I get absolutely no satisfaction for watching playthroughs or lets plays. I have to do it myself or not at all. I'll buy games with a strong story but I like to be the one progressing through the story my way. I think its an immersion thing, not really sure myself though but that is my guess. I don't feel invested if I just watching someone else move through it.
    I don't ever watch any of that stuff really.

    I agree with Aori, but with one notable exception:  I've often watched my brother play certain games over the years.  In particular, games that have interesting enough stories, but gameplay I have no interest in.  Survival horror type games, for instance.  I never could stand the controls and play of those games(Resident Evil, etc.), but enjoyed watching my brother play through the storylines.

    That said, I'm not about to go on the internet and watch some random stranger play a video game.
  • nerovergilnerovergil Member UncommonPosts: 680
    my pc is potato....i rather watch latest game play through on youtube since my toaster wont run it
  • ConstantineMerusConstantineMerus Member EpicPosts: 3,338
    When a new Souls game is a out, first I finish the game myself. Then I watch a playthrough by EpicNameBro to learn about if I have missed any hidden stuff. He also remembers previous titles better than me so he makes a lot of nice references. He also explores the world and the lore deeper than me, and says stuff like "these statues' eyes are covered because they had witnessed the birth of an ancient one!". So for a fan like me, his playthroughs are very enjoyable. 

    But I know if I ever watch a playthrough before I actually play it the game gets ruined for me since it would be losing the element of surprise and everything. 
    Constantine, The Console Poster

    • "One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Carl Jung
  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Torval said:
    I watch some play throughs when I'm stuck in a story based game, usually adventure games.

    Right now I'm playing through Broken Sword 4 and some of the ways you have to path or click are tricky. I only got stuck once in Broken Sword 1, but this one is just clunky in some parts.

    It does detract from the game doing that but it doesn't ruin it. It's still far superior to watching someone else play.

    That's a big criticism in adventure game sequels. If you need to reference external material the developer did something wrong. Broken Sword 1 had a progressive hint system so if you didn't get something you could ask for prompts in the right direction.

    In games like Bioshock watching someone else play would completely ruin the series for me. Even though it's linear the way it's presented and discovered is very interactive and personal. Same with other games like Life is Strange, Bastion, XCOM Declassified, Dragon's Dogma where the story unfolds and the player triggers and opens events.

    I can watch short sessions of Let's Play videos to see what the game looks like, how combat works, NPC interactions, etc. I used to watch mmo farming runs to improve my own techniques and strategies.
    I can certainly understand using videos for quick hints when you're completely stuck, I've done so many times myself. I also agree that's usually a design problem. I notice this more often in 1st person style adventure games like the Sherlock Holmes series (thankfully in that case there's a 3rd person option).

    I am more referring to watching let's plays and the like. Unless you never have any intention on playing I see no real benefit to even seeking them out. I just couldn't imagine going and watching a playthrough of Skyrim, GTA, Read Dead Redemption, titles like Horizon etc...  On top of that without the substance (gameplay) you're missing the entire journey from point a to point b in the story. 

    A good example of this is trying to watch the Star Trek Academy storylines linked together to make movies. Or a final fantasy game's cutscene storyline compiled into a movie, without the gameplay you lose every single bit of plot that moves between those scenes. The substance is gone, meaning the storyline has huge gaps.

     

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    I watch youtube video's to get an idea of whether or not i would be interested in playing it myself, the only time i watch lets plays tends to be when a game i am interested in is not on my preferred platform (PC) or is just at a price point that i am unwilling to pay, nothing worse than having $30 games priced at $60, a more recent example of that is probably 'For Honour' though honestly the few video's i've seen of that so far have been a bit 'meh' so even if the game was priced at $30 i most likely still would not buy it.
    We live in an age of increasing access to information, on just about anything. So if watching a 'lets play' video on a game spoils it for you, then chances are that playing the game would also be a disappointing experience. For me if i watch a video of a game and its 'exciting' and fun looking to play, then i will most likely buy it, i choose to make informed purchases, thats all, the whole 'buy in haste (or ignorance for that matter) and regret at your leisure' is all too apt for the video game industry, where marketing hype surrounding a game all too often hides a multitude of faults and/or promises things that will in all likelyhood never be delivered. :o
  • ConstantineMerusConstantineMerus Member EpicPosts: 3,338
    Distopia said:
    Torval said:
    I watch some play throughs when I'm stuck in a story based game, usually adventure games.

    Right now I'm playing through Broken Sword 4 and some of the ways you have to path or click are tricky. I only got stuck once in Broken Sword 1, but this one is just clunky in some parts.

    It does detract from the game doing that but it doesn't ruin it. It's still far superior to watching someone else play.

    That's a big criticism in adventure game sequels. If you need to reference external material the developer did something wrong. Broken Sword 1 had a progressive hint system so if you didn't get something you could ask for prompts in the right direction.

    In games like Bioshock watching someone else play would completely ruin the series for me. Even though it's linear the way it's presented and discovered is very interactive and personal. Same with other games like Life is Strange, Bastion, XCOM Declassified, Dragon's Dogma where the story unfolds and the player triggers and opens events.

    I can watch short sessions of Let's Play videos to see what the game looks like, how combat works, NPC interactions, etc. I used to watch mmo farming runs to improve my own techniques and strategies.
    I can certainly understand using videos for quick hints when you're completely stuck, I've done so many times myself. I also agree that's usually a design problem. I notice this more often in 1st person style adventure games like the Sherlock Holmes series (thankfully in that case there's a 3rd person option).

    I am more referring to watching let's plays and the like. Unless you never have any intention on playing I see no real benefit to even seeking them out. I just couldn't imagine going and watching a playthrough of Skyrim, GTA, Read Dead Redemption, titles like Horizon etc...  On top of that without the substance (gameplay) you're missing the entire journey from point a to point b in the story. 

    A good example of this is trying to watch the Star Trek Academy storylines linked together to make movies. Or a final fantasy game's cutscene storyline compiled into a movie, without the gameplay you lose every single bit of plot that moves between those scenes. The substance is gone, meaning the storyline has huge gaps.

     
    People watch playthroughs or those storylines linked together for different reasons. For example, I watched a 4-hour video of Legacy of Kain series the other day. I had already played the crap out of those titles years ago, so this was going through a pleasant reminiscence again. 

    Many people watch those playthroughs because they can't play the games. Or watch them at work or on their mobile instead of playing them. I have a friend who is not into video games. He's like 65 and probably he wouldn't start now. Once I told him the story of Mass Effect and he got so interested in the story that he went on and watched the whole trilogy on YouTube. 

    There's also another group, whom get familiar with a game beforehand. They like to know all the secrets so they wouldn't miss them on their own therefore they treat these sort of videos like walkthroughs. I wrote about myself and Souls series. But most of my friends, since they play it only once, they prefer to hit everything. Or they want to get platinum achievement with the minimum amount of hours and playthroughs--they all go through these videos. 
    Constantine, The Console Poster

    • "One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Carl Jung
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    edited February 2017
    Distopia said:
    Watching someone play a game is not the same as playing that game, you're breaking that feeling of discovery, you've seen what is there to be found.
    Yep, that is why I don't like the twitchy-eyed site since its launch :wink: 
    Funny thing is, the tool itself can be useful, for meaningful purposes like dev interviews, Q&A sessions, one-time events (1-2years ago I had to do an emergency maintenance at the same night Weatherstock was, that's an event with minimal 'actual' gameplay if you're in the audience -a /cheer or a /clap here and there :wink: - and about the music, I listened the performances over a stream while working), or even lectures like the Tolkien Prof's lecture a few days ago for those who can't attend in person.

    But the way it is 'generally' used, it is just plain dumb. Sure, to each their own, and opinions may vary. As Constanine wrote above, there are different kind of play styles, and walkthroughs / hints / cheats are not something new, they were already there at the '80s with gamer magazines. The present version is the same just evolved, presenting those informations through video instead of text and pictures / screenshots.

    Personally I prefer to explore and figuring out stuff by myself. I don't mind players with walkthrough usage (heck, I even wrote some back in the days, and I like to help other players :wink: ), but I don't use them. I usually just watch reviews of games I already play (just to see how accurate the reviewer is :wink: ), and never to jump into a game based on that - much better to try the game for yourself and decide based on your own experiences.

    Sure, occasionally I used to watch videos about games I don't play, since there are a few guys I watch for the fun and not for the actual game infos, for example HL, he's great :waving:  (actually I think I was the first linking a video of him here, way before he became a mmorpg.com resident, his second vid from the MyFirstHour series which was about RaiderZ)
    I've only played a small fracture of the games he covered over the years, but I still watch them because of the jokes. Not to mention the review part is usually spot-on too, based on the games I do play.
  • ShaighShaigh Member EpicPosts: 2,142
    edited February 2017
    Some people gets no satisfaction out of exploration, some people don't care about learning strategies, some people play games on easy. I don't watch videos of others playing games I play because I get no satisfaction from watching them play, on the other hand I watch a lot of sports. 

    The only thing that is wrong is the belief that your way is the right and only way to enjoy games. That's not to say that people have a tendency to make stupid decisions that ruins their own fun but I don't think that's the case with people that regularly watch others play games.

    I have a tendency to look up builds for RPG's simply because games have a tendency to force you into a path before you can make an informed decision if its good or not. I hate restarting games because I screwed up my first build.
    Iselin: And the next person who says "but it's a business, they need to make money" can just go fuck yourself.
  • Flyte27Flyte27 Member RarePosts: 4,574
    I don't think games like the Witcher 3 qualify as exploration games.  I enjoyed the game more for the story than for the exploration.  By default it has all the helpers turned on that show you where to go, what to do, and how to do it.  Most open world games are like this now.  They show you where to go in the open world and when.  If they are going to do that they might as well just make a linear game which will probably end up with a more focused and better story.  It will probably have better gameplay as well.  It is possible to turn off a lot of the helper features in the Witcher 3.  I guess I have to give them that.  My argument is that if the features are there then people will use them.  People will always take the path of least resistance.  The removal of those features have to be finite or there is little point in allowing them to be turned off.
  • DistopiaDistopia Member EpicPosts: 21,183
    Shaigh said:
    Some people gets no satisfaction out of exploration, some people don't care about learning strategies, some people play games on easy. I don't watch videos of others playing games I play because I get no satisfaction from watching them play, on the other hand I watch a lot of sports. 

    The only thing that is wrong is the belief that your way is the right and only way to enjoy games. That's not to say that people have a tendency to make stupid decisions that ruins their own fun but I don't think that's the case with people that regularly watch others play games.

    I have a tendency to look up builds for RPG's simply because games have a tendency to force you into a path before you can make an informed decision if its good or not. I hate restarting games because I screwed up my first build.
    This is true, I didn't mean to disparage anyone's preferences, as like I said above if they never plan on playing it makes sense. I concede it would make sense as well if they get no satisfaction from those elements.

    For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson


  • iixviiiixiixviiiix Member RarePosts: 2,256
    How can people able to ruin MMORPG by watching too many videos ? lol .

    oh , you talk about RPG and not MMORPG ? sure , watch story mode video and being spoiled at they own risk .
  • H0urg1assH0urg1ass Member EpicPosts: 2,380
    Distopia said:
    One of the main elements of an RPG is exploration as well as discovery. With that considered how is watching extended playthroughs, let's plays etc... Any different than having a story spoiled by giving away plot points?

    Watching someone play a game is not the same as playing that game, you're breaking that feeling of discovery, you've seen what is there to be found.

    I think this has a huge impact on folks when they actually get to play.  This also goes for bosses, story elements and just about everything else that is involved in RPG play...
    As someone who has a rising collection of playthrough videos on one of my two YouTube channels... I would have to say No!  Please watch more of them!

    Although my current playthrough is Resident Evil 7 and not an MMO, but I might do one of those in the future if an MMO interesting enough presents itself.
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,824
    Totally agree Distopia; for this reason I don't play betas, or read gaming articles, pre-reviews, etc about the game before it comes out. I check the real reviews, see what people are saying and make my mind up from that. I check out things like classes just before I play.

    I come into the game as much as possible like a new born baby. It is all new to me, all fresh..."what's this!" Seen so many friends start MMOs already jaded by their consumption of videos, beta etc. Not surprisingly I tend to be the last one to leave the game. :)
  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    When a new Souls game is a out, first I finish the game myself. Then I watch a playthrough by EpicNameBro to learn about if I have missed any hidden stuff. He also remembers previous titles better than me so he makes a lot of nice references. He also explores the world and the lore deeper than me, and says stuff like "these statues' eyes are covered because they had witnessed the birth of an ancient one!". So for a fan like me, his playthroughs are very enjoyable. 

    But I know if I ever watch a playthrough before I actually play it the game gets ruined for me since it would be losing the element of surprise and everything. 
    I have to admit I've played a game a few times over the years and later ended up watching a guide and discovered whole sections of the game I missed because I didn't talk to the NPC standing next to the Inn in the evenings.  All that work done by the devs people often miss and may never know about.

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    Distopia said:
    Tiller said:
    I think some folks only watch playthroughs instead of buying the game. I mean when it comes to some story based linear path games there is no point. I know I've watched a few lets plays and decided there was no point in spending the money on something I for the most part experienced second hand
    I just wonder how it's enjoyable to watch someone else play a game in that sense. Even in a linear story based game the whole point is playing. Not watching it as if it's a movie, as the pacing would be completely off to the viewer. You're not only watching them watch stories, you're watching them shuffle their inventory, looking at maps, reading journal entries etc. 


    I see the point as you deciding what you want the whole point to be, "Play the game the way you want to play it." as they say in the ads.  A lot of MMO's I don't like to crafting, so I won't craft.  I don't believe the whole point of a game is to mini-max it.

    Also if it's on a console I'll watch someone play it or usually all the cut scenes.   As I only do pc games.  It is easy to understand the game from just the cut scenes because they usually contain key story content.  It's a lot like watching a movie as opposed to reading the book.  Some people will read all the lore so they understand all the details in a game that other players won't see just by playing the game.

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • Flyte27Flyte27 Member RarePosts: 4,574
    When a new Souls game is a out, first I finish the game myself. Then I watch a playthrough by EpicNameBro to learn about if I have missed any hidden stuff. He also remembers previous titles better than me so he makes a lot of nice references. He also explores the world and the lore deeper than me, and says stuff like "these statues' eyes are covered because they had witnessed the birth of an ancient one!". So for a fan like me, his playthroughs are very enjoyable. 

    But I know if I ever watch a playthrough before I actually play it the game gets ruined for me since it would be losing the element of surprise and everything. 
    I have to admit I've played a game a few times over the years and later ended up watching a guide and discovered whole sections of the game I missed because I didn't talk to the NPC standing next to the Inn in the evenings.  All that work done by the devs people often miss and may never know about.
    This is a good thing IMO.  It means not everyone's experience will be the same.  Each will find different things.  It also adds to replayability.
Sign In or Register to comment.