Current Events > Why is random encounters in video games a thing that exists

(+) Yeah! (+)

Why do game developers think "hm let's just make the player get into a bunch of battles in order to make it through the field/dungeon" rather than actually scale the difficulty of the game appropriately.


---

Probably started with memory issues.

Fiik

---

I think they should be much more varied and less frequent. I thought the random encounters in Fallout 3 added to the experience but in, say, Dragons Dogma, they definitely detracted from it.

---

Resource management is the difficulty, or something like that.
Of course, suddenly doing a video-effect and transitioning to a battle screen, after a random number of steps, is something that was obsolete in the SNES era, if not before.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Resource management is the difficulty, or something like that.
Of course, suddenly doing a video-effect and transitioning to a battle screen, after a random number of steps, is something that was obsolete in the SNES era, if not before.

Earthbound was amazing.

If you were decently leveled, you didn't have to worry about encounters.

---

Short answer is all the early video game RPGs tried to emulate D&D which had random encounter tables for traveling long distances and the trope stuck as it carried on to later installments

---

Questionmarktarius posted...

Resource management is the difficulty

this

also I don't really think earthbound style of enemy visible on map is significantly better than random encounters. whether the enemy shows up or not is random and you very rarely can even avoid them in the first place based on level design so it's not that much different

---

Shablagoo posted...

I think they should be much more varied and less frequent. I thought the random encounters in Fallout 3 added to the experience but in, say, Dragons Dogma, they definitely detracted from it.

Dragons Dogma doesnt have random encounters, every monster is set and takes a certain amount of time to respawn.

---

kirbymuncher posted...

and you very rarely can even avoid them in the first place based on level design so it's not that much different

I see you also played the DQ7 3DS remake.

Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

Why do game developers think "hm let's just make the player get into a bunch of battles in order to make it through the field/dungeon" rather than actually scale the difficulty of the game appropriately.

Because otherwise the field/dungeon has... puzzles? Or something? Fighting through the field/dungeon is the entire point.

You can make it random or you can make it sprites you interact with, but at the end of the day you're still doing some encounters within a given space unless there's a significant distract/avoid mechanism.
---

Tyranthraxus posted...

Short answer is all the early video game RPGs tried to emulate D&D which had random encounter tables for traveling long distances and the trope stuck as it carried on to later installments

This was always my understanding, along with things like displaying character health/magic as numbers. It was just an attempt to adapt those games to a different medium, and it stuck

---

There are a few spots in Chrono Trigger you have to pass through often that have reoccurring set battles against weak enemies. I rather disliked that despite it not having random encounters. I think modern Dragon Quest games have done an excellent job with their battle encounter system.

---

A RPG that's nothing but caves and bossfights just seems like the opposite of fun.

charey posted...

Dragons Dogma doesnt have random encounters, every monster is set and takes a certain amount of time to respawn.

Ah, fair enough. I dislike that even more than the worst random-encounter systems.

---

Because without random encounters, dumb gamers like yourself would just avoid every enemy and wonder why they can't defeat a boss with 80 HP

Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

Earthbound was amazing.

If you were decently leveled, you didn't have to worry about encounters.

I feel like Earthbounds lack of immediate impact stopped it from creating new standards that were way better than it's competitors. I still don't understand why no one jocked the "rolling HP" thing. That shits genius.

---

It still works in DnD games like Etrian Odyssey. Also works for Pokemon too.
---

eston posted...

This was always my understanding, along with things like displaying character health/magic as numbers. It was just an attempt to adapt those games to a different medium, and it stuck

Tack on the added benefit of adding hours played to a game thus increasing the value (to a point, eventually this hits diminishing returns that then becomes a negative) of the game, and bam...

Random encounters and lots of grinding!

On the flip side, requiring grinding and offering random encounters also allows players more freedom and control in the challenge of the experience they have.

---