How would you feel if you were forced to temporarily loose part of your progress in a game?

[groniack]

I have been thinking for a long time now about this. How would a player feel if at a point in a game they were forced to loose their progress? 

For example, let's say you played for hours and managed to become a Gym Leader. But you made a grave mistake and you were stripped of your role. The pokemon association decide to take away all your pokemon, but pitying you, they give you a new starter. They also tell you that in order to regain your role and your reputation, you have to prove yourself. So basically you start a new adventure in the game so as to regain your old progress, while keeping all the new pokemon, items and progress.

 

How would something like this make you feel? Would you be discouraged because the creator of the game made you kinda start over? Or would you like the new challenge?

 

[FairFamily]

Considering one of the most boring parts of any fangame pkmnwise is the start since most pkmn really don't have good moves, I would say no. It would really sap away the fun of a game. Also it feels a bit weird to force a player in a dumb situation, because that's how that mistake is going to be and then punish the player for it.

 

It's not to say games (losing progress halfway) don't do this but it is either part of the progress (like equipment or some exp) and on top of that this loss of progress is either very temporary (like a single dungeon or part of a dungeon) or easily gained back. What you suggest is far longer.

[groniack]

3 minutes ago, FairFamily said:

Considering one of the most boring parts of any fangame pkmnwise is the start since most pkmn really don't have good moves, I would say no. It would really sap away the fun of a game. Also it feels a bit weird to force a player in a dumb situation, because that's how that mistake is going to be and then punish the player for it.

 

It's not to say games (losing progress halfway) don't do this but it is either part of the progress (like equipment or some exp) and on top of that this loss of progress is either very temporary (like a single dungeon or part of a dungeon) or easily gained back. What you suggest is far longer.

 

Yes, it's indeed a lot longer. I didn't want to make it look like a punishment. I just wanted to make it more like "not everything is going as planed". 

If the pokemon you got didn't go all the way to level 5 but more like 20, would it make it better? Or just the concept is a bad one?

[Noctelis]

Personally I'd prefer if you were to start the game as gymleader instead of working your way there only to lose all the time you spent getting there, making the gymleader part more of an intro to the game.

[Combat]

Didn't they do that in Omnicron and Zeta? When you enter the "new" area you are forced to use a new team, but upon returning to the old area you get your old team back.

 

Frankly I wold not be thrilled if at any point my team was removed from me. If I spent time training, breeding, and IV boosting my team, I'd better get to keep them all the way through.

[groniack]

2 minutes ago, Noctelis said:

Personally I'd prefer if you were to start the game as gymleader instead of working your way there only to lose all the time you spent getting there, making the gymleader part more of an intro to the game.

 

The gym leader example is not what exactly I have in my mind. It's just an example to give a perspective without giving away my idea

What I have in mind is actually a lot shorter, it's quite earlier (around the 4th gym) and it serves the purpose of allowing the player to create a stronger team (since when all is done, you will be able to keep both parties).

 

4 minutes ago, Combat said:

Didn't they do that in Omnicron and Zeta? When you enter the "new" area you are forced to use a new team, but upon returning to the old area you get your old team back.

 

Frankly I wold not be thrilled if at any point my team was removed from me. If I spent time training, breeding, and IV boosting my team, I'd better get to keep them all the way through.

 

Yes, it's similar but you won't be able to swap parties whenever you like.

 

[Zander]

Well if the story is interesting enough to keep me engrossed then I wouldn't mind. But if it's totally predictable and same good guy-bad guy things again then no, I would hate it.

I played omnicron but I was okay with the restart because they introduced the concept of shadow pokemon and also gave you an option to join the evil team. Plus in the restart there were new megas and psuedo legendaries like hydreigon available to play. 

So yeah, normally bad but if it's a good story then it's fine.

[groniack]

3 minutes ago, Zander said:

Well if the story is interesting enough to keep me engrossed then I wouldn't mind. But if it's totally predictable and same good guy-bad guy things again then no, I would hate it.

I played omnicron but I was okay with the restart because they introduced the concept of shadow pokemon and also gave you an option to join the evil team. Plus in the restart there were new megas and psuedo legendaries like hydreigon available to play. 

So yeah, normally bad but if it's a good story then it's fine.

 

Well, I don't want to give away too much right now about the story... But yeah... What I have in mind is something completely different from "you challenge gyms, fight evil teams, protect the peace" and those stuff...

So... if the reason is good enough, the duration is limited and doesn't become repetitive, it's acceptable?

 

[FairFamily]

Assuming gym leader is around like 25?30? or 50? and you get them back at that level? I mean this matters a lot.

 

If you leave the player too long with his second team, you just force them to create a new balanced team and when he gets his old team back what then? It is very likely that the teams are incompatible so one team just gets boxed. If you are a one team player like me, you still lose half of your progres anyway. For player which take pkmn in rotation this is not as bad but the punishment in itself is a lot harsher since they lose more pokemon. Also you need to be very carefull with the mechanics you give the player access to. Allowing breeding, gathering shards/heart scales for nature/move changes can result in a lot of players fed up with the game and stopping there. So I would disadvise this, it can work but you have to be very careful.

 

For short durations, it can work better. Make a makeshift team get past the challenge. Get your team back. How you scramble that team can be done in different ways.

 

 

[groniack]

1 minute ago, FairFamily said:

Assuming gym leader is around like 25?30? or 50? and you get them back at that level? I mean this matters a lot.

 

If you leave the player too long with his second team, you just force them to create a new balanced team and when he gets his old team back what then? It is very likely that the teams are incompatible so one team just gets boxed. If you are a one team player like me, you still lose half of your progres anyway. For player which take pkmn in rotation this is not as bad but the punishment in itself is a lot harsher since they lose more pokemon. Also you need to be very carefull with the mechanics you give the player access to. Allowing breeding, gathering shards/heart scales for nature/move changes can result in a lot of players fed up with the game and stopping there. So I would disadvise this, it can work but you have to be very careful.

 

For short durations, it can work better. Make a makeshift team get past the challenge. Get your team back. How you scramble that team can be done in different ways.

 

 

 

Thanks for pointing all these things out.

I will give it some more thought.

[Dante52]

I think the idea has some pretty interesting potential. But the points others have made are pretty relevant (the time investment, etc). Maybe you could let the main player keep one of their pokemon? Or they can keep it, but it's nerfed somehow? (like a held item that you can't take of and severely limits it, (basically handcuffs for pokemon? just spit-balling here)) (Or maybe you get separated from your 'mons and have to regain them one by one?). Ultimately though, for me it would depend on if the writing could support it. If the writing is good enough, so it doesn't feel really forced and irritating, but interesting and maybe surprising, and I'm motivated to get stronger again to punish the jerks who did this to me, then sure. But I think to pull it off the story needs to be strong enough to distract you from the Pokemon. 
Just my thoughts though

[Felcatty]

It's an interesting concept, I'll say that much but personally it would feel tiresome unless it was really well incorporated into the plot.

I think one time it has great potential, twice is stretching it but I think you could possible get away with it depending on what was going on but not three or more.

Again I tend to be a plot person, so if it's interesting enough to keep my attention I'll keep going.

 

Just my opinion

[groniack]

17 hours ago, Dante52 said:

I think the idea has some pretty interesting potential. But the points others have made are pretty relevant (the time investment, etc). Maybe you could let the main player keep one of their pokemon? Or they can keep it, but it's nerfed somehow? (like a held item that you can't take of and severely limits it, (basically handcuffs for pokemon? just spit-balling here)) (Or maybe you get separated from your 'mons and have to regain them one by one?). Ultimately though, for me it would depend on if the writing could support it. If the writing is good enough, so it doesn't feel really forced and irritating, but interesting and maybe surprising, and I'm motivated to get stronger again to punish the jerks who did this to me, then sure. But I think to pull it off the story needs to be strong enough to distract you from the Pokemon. 
Just my thoughts though

 

9 hours ago, Felcatty said:

It's an interesting concept, I'll say that much but personally it would feel tiresome unless it was really well incorporated into the plot.

I think one time it has great potential, twice is stretching it but I think you could possible get away with it depending on what was going on but not three or more.

Again I tend to be a plot person, so if it's interesting enough to keep my attention I'll keep going.

 

Just my opinion

I have been waiting for such answers!! Well, I was planning to give up on the idea since most people weren't a big fan of it... But maybe I will look at it a bit more.

I just need to find a balance so as not to make it too long for people to get bored of it and not to make it too short for not fulfilling its purpose...

I will try not to make it look as a punishment (although players who focus on gameplay may consider it as one) but as a whole new experience