Here is why a restricted manual saving mechanic is bad design

Gameplay
#1

Simply put game development is not bug free. I have lost 17+ hours of game play because have getting soft locked in dialog cut scenes. A simple “exit game triggering a save” is not a solution to this problem with a title so buggy in this way. When you are in a soft lock state most commonly your input method is unresponsive while the client simply continues to run.

A ‘restricted’ manual save feature is used by so few games directly because of this downside and the added development cost incurred to fix a product ever time this system hits all the game game breaking bugs that invariably appear in today’s modern video games could be avoided.

It is a simple game design, cost saving, community appeasing choice, convenience vs angry consumer base.

2 Likes
#2

They’ve already agreed to implement a save on exit…

#3

How many more of these “The game is not forgiving” threads? They’ve stated multiple times that they’re re-working the system.

#4

@munkt0r please see my actual post about why a ‘save and exit’ does not fix the core issue as I address it.

1 Like
#5

@Gibb this isn’t a complaint about difficulty its about why a core system design decision is ultimately a bad decision. I am all for hard games there is an audience for them and game developers should try to cater to that market.

However as stated originally they resticted manual save system is vulnerable to catastrophic bugs which in turn makes the products consumers angry at the developer. Which is a place no creatives want to be in at the end of the day.

2 Likes
#6

Are you on PC? Then get the Unlimited saves mod from Nexus. This isn’t likely to be addressed anytime soon…

#7

I’m not sure I understand how that matters…they’ve already told the community what they plan to do.

You’ll just have to deal or move on…

#8

@HOlt_Bathgate thank you for directing me to Nexus that will certainly make my game experience less frustrating.

1 Like
#9

Has yet to be implemented to date. So…

#10

@munkt0r They have indeed spoken about what they are thinking about doing to address the problem. I am pointing out that their immediate fix is flawed. And giving such feedback help the developer consider if their intended fix is truly enough. I having started this thread this it isn’t.

And as far as moving on, having an honest conversation about something i payed for and am critiquing is always of value as long as the discussion in respectful and honest.

#11

@Holt_Bathgate crafting a few hundred consumables and simply walk around with an alcoholic character seems then to be my alternative in the short term.

But thank you again.

1 Like
#12

Well, you could’ve chosen one of the dozen other threads already discussing this topic =)

But fair enough, I see your point.

#13

Thank you for saying this @ByDesign

Well written and expressed. But yes, as someone mentioned, if you’re on PC you can get the unlimited save mod. Honestly, without that mod, there’s no way I’d still be playing this game.

I like it and all, but the bugs in addition to other things that aren’t bugs… well, like you said, save on exit isn’t great either and it wouldn’t have been good enough for me personally.

1 Like
#14

@TONS I wholey support the mod community of any title to add value to a product and companies are smart to allow it as it extends the tail end of viability of sales to a mod enabled game.

However I feel that if a mod is generally needed for a game its a feature that should have been or will be included in the base game. Adding quests, art improvements are one thing but devs should take note of UI improvements, performance improvements, or feature reworking that modders make available and determine if their design decisions in retrospect match up to their communities expectations.

Not all studios are this mindful, however making your game on an engine that is at its base is moddable is a concious choice that I feel to be one of open mindedness about their choices.

I just disagree that modding ‘should’ be necessary to fix bugs of a game.

To be clear I have no issue with ‘restricted’ manual saving if there are no crashes or hard/soft locks in the product. But what developer and 'guarantee" that on a PC release?

1 Like
#15

I agree, but since it currently isn’t, this is an option. Mods shouldn’t be used to fix a game or add a must have feature.

Me, I’ll never be okay with manual save restrictions. I can understand others may like that sort of thing and some may even think that somehow makes them hardcore or true gamers. I don’t know if it does or not, I just know that there are plenty of reasons (bugs or not) to not be okay with manual saving. That’s my opinion.

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