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[Pokemaniac]

They weren't completely pointless per se, but they were really disincentivized by the general mechanics surrounding stickers. Sticker Star has this huge problem where the way a lot of its systems interact leads to it basically disincentivizing you from actually engaging with its core mechanics, since the cost for doing so in anything even resembling a suboptimal way was ridiculously high.

 

[Nyoro SF]

Can you call it an RPG if there's no leveling system? Is there even an RPG without leveling system?

Yes, it's possible.

Problem is, leveling is so ingrained, people would throw a wild revolt if you removed it. So developers add it in anyway, even though it's not required by any means. :/

 

[hemo memo]

Yes, it's possible.

Problem is, leveling is so ingrained, people would throw a wild revolt if you removed it. So developers add it in anyway, even though it's not required by any means. :/

But what's the point of battles (Fun ofcource but you know what I mean) if you actually loss stickers and loss health so avoiding encounters is better. You gain nothing from battles you just waste the time completing the level. I can't find another example of an RPG wothout a leveling system.

Don't get me wrong I like the game and it's fun and that's what matter but I get the criticism.

 

[AquaWateria]

Although people like to exaggerate and call it a shit game when it clearly isn't. At most you could say its a decent game but its definitely not shit.

The good thing is Color Splash is improving on the flaws Sticker Star has.

 

[Green Mamba]

Although people like to exaggerate and call it a shit game when it clearly isn't. At most you could say its a decent game but its definitely not shit.

The good thing is Color Splash is improving on the flaws Sticker Star has.

I found Sticker Star to be not just shit, but fundamentally broken shit.

No exaggeration necessary. Legitimately one of the worst modern Nintendo games I've played.

 

[LoveCake]

I really liked this game, I still have it for my 3DS, of course the battle were not pointless, I don't really see how it could even be an issue.

 

[Velcro Fly]

For fun. Which is the entire reason I play video games. To have fun.

Would you call collecting 120 stars in SM64 pointless? Getting all heart pieces in Zelda pointless? It's fun right.

So is battling, at least to me.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Battles were always pointless in the games, to be honest. The experience system in the first two games was rigged so that you're always exactly as powerful as the developers want you to be, and there were no elaborate skill trees or builds to chose from. A guy who never fought a battle (except when forced to, obviously) wouldn't be much better or worse off than a guy who fought everything.

 

[Meffer]

Battles were always pointless in the games, to be honest. The experience system in the first two games was rigged so that you're always exactly as powerful as the developers want you to be, and there were no elaborate skill trees or builds to chose from. A guy who never fought a battle (except when forced to, obviously) wouldn't be much better or worse off than a guy who fought everything.

Did because you still choose which stats to raise.

 

[Stopdoor]

Yeah, I agree entirely with the 'pointless' arguments. It just always felt like a losing proposition to get into battles, you're ending up with less resources overall. I didn't even mind the idea of the sticker-based battle system, but there was nothing incentivizing it.

The boss battles are what really sealed the deal - you think you'd save up money or stickers for the ultra-powerful stickers to use on the bosses, but then the whole "you must use the pre-determined thing sticker on their weakpoint" design negated that. And regular battles just aren't that hard that you really need those ultra-powerful stickers - it's usually groups of common enemies, so why will you use your "Mega Giant Super Hammer" sticker on one Koopa? It just didn't make sense.

Bowser was even worse, amazingly - you'd go into the fight, and only halfway through the fight would it signal you need the Scissor sticker. So everything up to that point was useless, you need to quit, and go find that sticker. That's just bad game design.

Hopefully Colour Splash has learned, but it is kind of worrying.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Did because you still choose which stats to raise.

You do, but which stat you choose makes almost no difference in how you build the game. Pretty much every "build" is more or less the same thing, with the sole exception being the "Danger Mario" build, which is pretty much impossible without a guide.

It's very shallow.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Yeah, I agree entirely with the 'pointless' arguments. It just always felt like a losing proposition to get into battles, you're ending up with less resources overall. I didn't even mind the idea of the sticker-based battle system, but there was nothing incentivizing it.

The boss battles are what really sealed the deal - you think you'd save up money or stickers for the ultra-powerful stickers to use on the bosses, but then the whole "you must use the pre-determined thing sticker on their weakpoint" design negated that. And regular battles just aren't that hard that you really need those ultra-powerful stickers - it's usually groups of common enemies, so why will you use your "Mega Giant Super Hammer" sticker on one Koopa? It just didn't make sense.

Bowser was even worse, amazingly - you'd go into the fight, and only halfway through the fight would it signal you need the Scissor sticker. So everything up to that point was useless, you need to quit, and go find that sticker. That's just bad game design.

Hopefully Colour Splash has learned, but it is kind of worrying.

My first time through, I beat every boss without using any of the weak point stickers. I didn't even know Bowser had any besides the Scissors one at all until I looked it up.

 

[stuminus3]

Not pointless.

There was an enemy in my way.

Now there's not.

I killed it.

I enjoyed killing it.

It's dead now.

 

[Beartruck]

The argument for is that you need to fight battles to earn coins to buy stickers, but if you just avoid the battles you never use any stickers, and buying them is pointless anyway, as they are scattered everywhere on the world map and are endlessly replenishable.

 

[Stopdoor]

My first time through, I beat every boss without using any of the weak point stickers. I didn't even know Bowser had any besides the Scissors one at all until I looked it up.

Is this actually possible? I remember after the first boss they actually chastise you for doing that, and then I'm fairly sure most of the later bosses require certain stickers, like the Cheep Cheep, Gooper Blooper, Bowser. Even if you can, I'm fairly sure they make the bosses resistant to 'mega' stickers and the like to push you towards using the 'intended' sticker.

 

[CrisKre]

I actually loved the battles and the game. The interest stemed from getting the more interesting stickers. Can't wait for color splash.

 

[fernoca]

I actually loved the battles and the game. The interest stemed from getting the more interesting stickers. Can't wait for color splash.

Same here.

I wish they went the extra mile and gave you packs of stickers thaf could open with random stickers inside.

Wanted more of it and they made Color Splash. Can't wait.

 

[Swordian]

Battles were always pointless in the games, to be honest. The experience system in the first two games was rigged so that you're always exactly as powerful as the developers want you to be, and there were no elaborate skill trees or builds to chose from. A guy who never fought a battle (except when forced to, obviously) wouldn't be much better or worse off than a guy who fought everything.

This isn't true at all. The badge system lets you experiment quite a bit with different builds, especially in the second game.

 

[leroidys]

Battles were always pointless in the games, to be honest. The experience system in the first two games was rigged so that you're always exactly as powerful as the developers want you to be, and there were no elaborate skill trees or builds to chose from. A guy who never fought a battle (except when forced to, obviously) wouldn't be much better or worse off than a guy who fought everything.

This is basically my stance. The other Paper Mario games' battles were hardly more meaningful, as experience scaling was so extreme. And as explained in the OP, battling well was advantageous.

I think they could have kept badges though, to give you more control of how you conducted battles. Would have gone a long way towards making battles more engaging for more people IMO. Sad to see them absent again in Color Splash.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Is this actually possible? I remember after the first boss they actually chastise you for doing that, and then I'm fairly sure most of the later bosses require certain stickers, like the Cheep Cheep, Gooper Blooper, Bowser. Even if you can, I'm fairly sure they make the bosses resistant to 'mega' stickers and the like to push you towards using the 'intended' sticker.

Mmm, Cheep Cheep might have. Gooper Blooper and Bowser can be beat without them, though. Just have to keep crumpling the Blooper every four turns and it'll lose it's ink charge. It didn't work all the time of course, but it got me through the fight.

 

[RM8]

I actually loved the battles and the game. The interest stemed from getting the more interesting stickers. Can't wait for color splash.

Same, pretty much.