A Discussion on Quick Time Event's and Action Commands.

What do the tropers on the forum think of them? Do you think they are cool way to implement awesome cinematics and a rush of adrenaline and to create Over the Top scenarios, or are they the bane of video game existence and should stop being used altogether? Or Should they be here to stay so long as Game developers can use them properly?

And do you also think that some people overreact to their presence too much?

In all honesty, I actually like QTE's and Action Commands for said rush of adrenaline and Over the top-ness, but that's my opnion.

edited 25th Mar '12 7:13:51 AM by Demongodofchaos2

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I don't mind them, save for the ones that are like "Press this button a million times withing six seconds," *coughSonicUnleashedcough*

One thing I hate about them, though, is that they're always layed over awesome-looking action scenes, and the distract from actually watching all that awesome stuff.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

In all Honesty, I would prefer to do that over just watching them, as it just tends to feel boring to me just watching and not doing anything during said scenes.

I wouldn't of Minded if something like Xenosaga had a few of them, considering how long a lot of the cutscenes in those games are.....

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This. BF 3 screwed the pooch so hard with it's QTE's because of this. You've got a second or so to hit the right key so instead of watching what's going on instead you're staring at that one point on the screen waiting to play simon says. They became a chore.

I think some things, like getting swarmed by a husk in ME 3 and having to mash melee as fast as you can to knock them off work. Most QTE's though are just ass. I want to play the game or enjoy the cinematics, not mesh the worst parts of both ruining the whole thing.

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit

I can understand when they have nothing to do with the scene that they are put in (like to do something more mundane), they can get annoying.

But when I do something truly awesome via QTE's, I can't help but say how cool that was.

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Except you most likely don't even know how cool it is, because you were too focused on pressing buttons.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

Exactly, since if you miss the button you lose you have to focus on the buttons. So they could have a Jeri Ryan/Catherine Bell lesbian porno start halfway through the QTE and you'd still have to focus on the damn buttons or lose. So does it really matter how awesome the QTE is since you can't actually watch it or play it?

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit

Not a fan. Quick time events are not gameplay, just a poor stand in that resembles gameplay. I'm yet to play a game with QT Es that wouldn't be improved by just removing them completely.

Eh, I don't see a big deal with it. I personally can focus on both at the same time, especially when it's completely integrated into the movements of the characters themselves and don't look like just random buttons to press.

Heavy Rain, Indigo Prophecy and Asuras Wrath are probably the best examples of non annoying QTE's I can think of, because they on the whole are made up of mostly QTE's for gameplay.

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I think QTEs are not that bad... But its best use ever was probably the first, in Shenmue. The screen froze to show the combination. Granted, some were pretty hard since the controls didn't respond well (damn you circling-analog-stick events, damn you to hell), but the idea itself was much better implemented than it is today, with simple "press this button while Kratos does something".

No regret shall pass over the threshold!

Eh, i find Asuras Wrath to be some of the best used in a game. Look at this for example (Spoilers for the actual game itself, though.)

edited 25th Mar '12 7:51:41 AM by Demongodofchaos2

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There are conditions for me to like and reject QTE / quick action commands

1) I don't like ones where it appears fast, expects you to press it immediately and correctly, and games you over for doing it wrong

2) I hope there will be some QTE out there that are optional, by having no rewarding and punishing effects for not pressing it, or it can be done in a way that there will be two buttons that appear at once, high and low, and expect you to make a choice

3) Press X for a hundred times in a few seconds, definitely hate that. Leon's Boulder Run, anyone?

4) In the Yakuza series, Action Commands are like the codifiers (in my opinion), immediate example of no loss if done wrong, and for some story-related battles, you get to perform the thing again

5) To try and have QTE as pathmaking is a stupid idea for me. At least only put them in fights and battles only. But that said, I really liked the ones from Lords of Shadow (Castlevania title), as it limits timing to just timing, no specific buttons

edited 25th Mar '12 8:20:49 AM by Cassie

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Not inherently bad, but they do break a lot of flow, and a lot of them feel shoehorned in.

I like them in God Hand. I don't like them in God Of War.

ALL CREATURE WILL DIE AND ALL THE THINGS WILL BE BROKEN. THAT'S THE LAW OF SAMURAI.

Kingdom Hearts 2 did it pretty well with Reaction Commands. Apart from a select few exceptions, you weren't usually required to do them but made fighting much easier and control was returned to you pretty quickly.

Oh and they never happened during cutscenes.

Word to the wise game devs: If you put one during a long cutscene, you better be sure as Hell that failure does not restart the whole scene.

So. Let's all pause for a moment to smell what the Rock was, is, and forever will be... cooking.—Cave Johnson

I also don't like QTE's when they're just plain "press this button to keep watching." That includes God of War's attacks.

I like them when they actually do feel like you're doing the attack the button prompts for. God of War has yet to do that for me.

I quite like how it's implemented in Resident Evil 4, at least as far as in game gameplay goes. Stun an enemy, get an opportunity to follow up. The cutscenes are a different story all together, though I admit it adds to the arcade feel of the game.

The only cutscene QTE's i've ever really liked is Dynamite Deka/ Die Hard Arcade's implementation of it. and mmmmmmmaybe Soul Blade's for their endings.

edited 25th Mar '12 8:31:57 AM by Schitzo

ALL CREATURE WILL DIE AND ALL THE THINGS WILL BE BROKEN. THAT'S THE LAW OF SAMURAI.

Word to the wise game devs: If you put one during a long cutscene, you better be sure as Hell that failure does not restart the whole scene.

Unless it's Hilarious:

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I like them when they're implemented well, like in Asuras Wrath, Kingdom Hearts II and Resident Evil 4. Asura's Wrath's QTE's work (at least from what I've played in the demo) because the game was built with QTE's in mind, and it helps that they aren't Press X to Not Die. And the other 2 made sure that their QTE's were either easy to do, or actually fit in with the game's genre.

I do however, mind them when the games are over reliant on them (Sonic Unleashed), or clash against what the series is about (Ninja Gaiden 3). Games such as those put in QTE's just because a popular franchise did, and they want to Follow the Leader, rather than because putting them in would legitimately add to the game.

Eh, for the most part, don't like them unless they're integral to a system (like a quick time block).

However, I'd like to see a game of nothing but quick time events. You know which one I'm thinking of.

edited 25th Mar '12 1:00:13 PM by Ramus

The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.

Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain come pretty close.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

My thoughts on these:

DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!

If I wanted to play Guitar Hero, I'd have bought Guitar Hero.

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I like 'em for the cinematic touch they can bring on scenes. Although the unexpected ones are really annoying....

I'd prefer if they were not there, but in the games I've played that have had them, they're a minor blemish.

"Hipsters: the most dangerous gang in the US." - Pacific Mackerel

I'm more or less neutral on em. They are fine in moderation and when they're simple. Complex ones during cinemas ruin one's ability to watch the cool scene unfolding. Case in point, the infamous knife fight scene from Resident Evil 4. That's an instance where they are bad.

Depends on whether they activate in cutscenes and whether or not you have to do them. I almost never want them in cutscenes and I'd like the option to avoid them. Basically they should be for flashy stuff rather than required ways of killing an enemy. Also they should never kill you for failing. That is the most absurd kind of fake difficulty.

This is my take on the subject.

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