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[X-Wing]

Does it happen to you too? Usually affects me more when playing open world games but have it on some more linear games too. I start a side quest and explore the map while doing that quest but I'm always afraid I will miss something on the way or that following the quest path will make me miss something somewhere else on the map.
How do you cope with that? What is your methodology when exploring or doing secondary missions?

 

[Neff]

If I'm enjoying a game enough to know that I'm going to play it again one day, I don't think about it too much, I'm fine just discovering it at my own pace. Anything I miss will make the next run more interesting.

If it feels like a one-and-done or is taking forever to get through, there's no shame in looking up a guide.

 

[hemo memo]

I search at my own pace. Something near then why not. I don’t go out of my way unless I’m really enjoying the game and even then I put a limit on myself that I need to finish it.

I used to play games to check every corner etc and end up not finishing the game and getting myself burned trying to finish everything.

I don’t know if that answers the question.

 

[FunkMiller]

Have you played Elden Ring, OP? Because you might have a nervous breakdown.

 

[X-Wing]

Have you played Elden Ring, OP? Because you might have a nervous breakdown.

I did, and from all the souls games is the one I like the least. I much prefer an interconnected world approach like on Dark Souls or even a segmented one like on Demon's Souls.

 

[mansoor1980]

very true , elden ring gives you a choice to complete stuff even after the ending , more open world games need that

 

[mrmustard]

I only have that with RTS games, because it could be a rare ressource or a nice power up or reinforcements or a nice location for an ambush. In open world games it's usually just nice to have stuff and i don't have that feeling.

 

[Ainem Enamas]

Side-content is important to me as I have purchased the game and want to get out of the game as much as possible!

 

[jaysius]

When I'm playing a semi-linear game I always try to go the "wrong way" and when it's not obvious which way is "correct" and I accidently choose that path I get really let down about missing out on possibly good things, unless the loot in the game is worthless like in that Breath of the Wild or in a shitty GaaS style loot game.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I feel this a lot when playing retro-fps games. Levels always have a bunch of secrets or hidden items, and they even keep track of what you completed which adds to the itch to get everything.

I'm playing through prodeus right now and i'm really glad they let me replay leves as much as i want and keep everything i get from each run, i can play at my own pace knowing i can just get back to it when i feel like to complete everything.

 

[Lunarorbit]

If I'm enjoying a game enough to know that I'm going to play it again one day, I don't think about it too much, I'm fine just discovering it at my own pace. Anything I miss will make the next run more interesting.

If it feels like a one-and-done or is taking forever to get through, there's no shame in looking up a guide.

Getting the plat in jedi fallen order sucks. At the start of the game I was searching everywhere but if all you get are cosmetic rewards and story beats for searching areas then it's a let down.

Old school ff games I would search alot for armor or weapons but oftentimes you could just buy them at a vendor so it just defeated the purpose.

Have unique items, weapons, or armor.
Have cool side quests that make me want to explore.
Have a great map that beckons me to explore.

Jedis map is atrocious. Even though I never use it I have a masters in GIS and that jedi map blows on all the metrics I learned about.

No directional guide (north east south west)

No scale (lots of games don't have scale so not a horrible offense)

Using transparent blue for your map is confusing and bleeds through so you can't tell what level you are looking at

No way to add a way point. Especially bad considering the map is horrible

Fuck jedi orders map. My number 1 example of how map/level design can hurt a game.

 

[T4keD0wN]

I start all the side missions that i encounter along my way, but only complete the ones that intrigue me or have an interesting premise.
If the mission is just gather 5 wood ill ignore it, but if the mission involves solving some interesting sounding mystery or i feel like the quest has potential to be interesting ill go out of my way to do it.

Time alive is limited and its best to value it.

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

Depends on how the open world game is designed. If the overall game feels more checklist-ey (Ubisoft games, and Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk if we’re being honest) I just B-line to quests/markers because chances are you’ll end up exploring most places worth exploring that way anyways.

Games like Bethesda games, BotW, and Elden Ring seem to have more areas that don’t relate to the main path, so I feel more of a need to do my own exploring to try and see what I can find.

That being said fuck hunting for collectibles in any open world game; it’s never worth it.

 

[Kilau]

The character's even comment on this in GoW: R when you go off for a random chest. I like to search as much as I can in a map the first time through, it's not FOMO, I'm a completionist.

 

[adamsapple]

When I'm playing a semi-linear game I always try to go the "wrong way" and when it's not obvious which way is "correct" and I accidently choose that path I get really let down about missing out on possibly good things, unless the loot in the game is worthless like in that Breath of the Wild or in a shitty GaaS style loot game.

Same as your first sentence.

I appreciate a game like Dead Space which paints you a line to where the next story objective is, so I can safely explore the areas around it before heading in that one path.

 

[22:22:22]

Yeah. Big issue.

1: it's immersion breaking if you're supposed to follow someone or run because the narrative is pushing you to do so while you could just ignore it and wander around the map (maybe there's a item here better look in every nook and cranny)

2: FOMO. Especially if you have OCD. And my main gripe with ER was the lack of items in said nooks and crannies.

 

[The Tourmaline Gorilla]

It is much like life; you can't have everything - it just doesn't work that way. In life, in order to pursue one thing, you have to make sacrifices to other things. That's just the way it is.

 

[22:22:22]

It is much like life; you can't have everything - it just doesn't work that way. In life, in order to pursue one thing, you have to make sacrifices to other things. That's just the way it is.

But life isn't designed in the same way games are. Guess you're lucky if you don't care about missing an perhaps awesome item/weapon because you sacrificed said possibility for following the intended narrative to follow a NPC through a vast and new part of the map.

I get what your saying though.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

When the game encourages exploration it's fun.

Dragon's Dogma and Zelda springs to mind.

 

[Lord Malachite]

Sidequests are more important to me than main story ones. I view advancing the story as my reward for having done everything else, so I only do so when there is nothing else for me to do. I hate leaving stones unturned and like to finish the story knowing I am at 100% completion.