Video Game Questions - Game mechanics that leave you scratching your head

[Marissa Moira]

Why did the PS1 dual shock have a second analog stick if hardly any games used it? The first controller just had a dpad and then the Nintendo 64 came out which touted analog control as the way of the future so I guess they thought they had to one up it. But in almost every game the second stick was completely dormant, using the shoulder buttons to move the camera. It's irritating playing an fps on PS1 and having to gradually look up and down with them.

In some games you could switch left or right as the active stick. It was for people who couldn't or didn't want to use the left stick. They intially had two sticks because they were intended for full dedicated 3d movement where one stick could go up and down and one could go left to right.

Handicap controllers still exist today and they're kind of sought after for collectors items.

 

[Dumpster dived waifu]

What the actual fuck is happening in Bloodborne?

 

[Schmeckel]

Why do I need 100 lockpick skill when I could just... Reach through and unlock the fucking thing?

Spoiler

 

[whogoesthere]

I always thought the Resident Evil games' puzzle items were too obvious. "Would you like to pick up the broken crank handle?" Fuck no, but because you asked, I'm sure it will open some random puzzle/door/box at some point later. I always thought it would be cool if they threw in a fuckload of pointless items like "broken mechanical pencil" or "bent spoon" just as clutter, and forced the player to actually consider the value and usability of what they grab up blindly just because the option to do so existed.

YES! I hate how people bring up that the game has puzzles in them, because a puzzle is something you have to think about. "this socket could hold a coin, its gold in colour" "you have found coin, it is gold and has an eagle on it".

 

[Cyclonus]

Why couldn't you just bring Aeris back to life with a phoenix down?

 

[Overcast]

Why couldn't you just bring Aeris back to life with a phoenix down?

I was always under the impression that phoenix downs' only brought back people who were knocked unconscious or on the brink of death.

But really, the actual answer is gameplay/story segregation.

 

[JektheDumbass]

I was always under the impression that phoenix downs' only brought back people who were knocked unconscious or on the brink of death.

But really, the actual answer is gameplay/story segregation.

At least in FF5 they show Bartz and co. frantically using every curative they had when Galuf died. Doesn't quite make sense but at least they attempted it.

 

[Cyclonus]

Why does the start button pause the game?

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

Why couldn't you just bring Aeris back to life with a phoenix down?

Translation error stuff.

"Dead" as a status effect in most final fantasy games is "KO" in the original language.

Phoenix Down can bring people back from being mostly dead..but can't revive the dead, According to Pheonix in FFBE he can in fact bring back the dead but it isn't a fantastic idea because the process of dying and reviving is traumatic and changes people.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

he can in fact bring back the dead but it isn't a fantastic idea because the process of dying and reviving is traumatic and changes people.

Oh shit, FF takes places in Stephen King's Dark Tower mythology.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

Oh shit, FF takes places in Stephen King's Dark Tower mythology.

Well less that and more that and the pain of having say..the pain of 8 Foot Sword jammed through your Heart, Lungs and baby making parts, going into shock and bleeding out then waking up an unknown amount of time later can be something of a traumatic experience.

Edit: For all it's Gacha Autism..FFBE's campaign is..interesting to play. It has some good bits.