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Comment by progne | Hacker News Reader

Disagree, constraints on respec are consequences for in game choices, which raise the stakes for each move and can greatly increase immersion. Like putting money down on a horse race. That doesn't mean that all RPGs should be perma-death, but that it's a complex artistic choice.

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It would be nice if there were an accessibility option or slider to adjust the cost. We don't all have the stamina or range of motion to play as many hours as we'd like, or in the way that fits us best.

Understandable if indie devs cannot afford such accomodations, but for AAA it seems reasonable.

The problem with most RPGs is that you end up specializing towards a certain goal, from the get-go, but it’s entirely unclear what items you’ll actually find down the road to support it, and what consequences could potentially exist.

And of course unless the game is trivial difficulty-wise, you can always build yourself into a dead-end (though many rpgs are trivial to avoid this).

Ultimately though you usually have two classes of player — min/maxers and role players — and it’s generally pointless to argue solely towards one side or the other; they will inevitably conflict, and the game generally must find its balance between the two

This is why the only way to play RPG -- in my very very humble opinion -- is via permadeath. Each death tells you a unique story as to why you optimized your character poorly.

Agreed — Roguelikes, and AD&D, are the one true path towards good RPGs. The obsession with grand narratives and long-running unkillable parties corrupts the genre into all sorts of poor decisions in the name of role playing. Roleplay through play is the correct system — not through decision trees

That only sort of makes sense if the part of the game where you can die is the main one. Who would play an RPG that is 50% walking around, talking to people and appreciating the plot with permadeath, meaning you have to redo all this every time and 90% of players will never see the ending?

> you end up specializing towards a certain goal, from the get-go,

So, the sneaky archer?

(sorry, I remember reading a snarky guide to either oblivion or skyrim, where it said everyone always ends up a sneaky archer)

> you end up specializing towards a certain goal, from the get-go, but it’s entirely unclear what items you’ll actually find down the road to support it, and what consequences could potentially exist

Sounds a bit like life.

Conveniently the goal of most, if not all, video games of course — to simulate reality precisely as we commonly experience it.

Definitely doesn't increase the immersion for me. I have spend a ton of time looking into the consequences of what ever choice I'm presented with. That happens with me pausing and searching the internet

I like respecs, as do most RPG players I know. Game companies won't be getting my money if they don't provide this - I want an enjoyable experience, not a frustrating "purist" one.

This artistic choice, combined with poorly balanced classes and overly complicated rules turns RPGs into Build Playing Games. Looking at you BG3.

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