How to make random encounters more interesting

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

You know how it is. You are in an RPG, walking across a field and suddenly the screen changes for a fight with a monster...

How would you keep this interesting and unique each time?

I personally like the Chrono Trigger way of doing things, not changing the screen but having the monsters ambush you. It may not be as "random" but seeing as you don't expect it, it seems to be random the first time it happens to you.

Anyway, what are your thoughts?

 

[Tharwen]

Maybe if the random encounter also contained some people from your own side and you had to fight with them, that would be more interesting.

 

[Marter]

I'm fine with random encounters they way they are. I definitely prefer when they are only in certain areas, like Pokemon did it.

 

[LeonLethality]

I am fine with random encounters, some people hate them others don't.

Besides since I tend to clear out every enemy in games with set encounters random counters stop me from wasting more time than needed.

 

[zHellas]

Pokemon - Pokemon that you've released into the wild before suddenly appear around the town/area that you've released them in.

Ones like Red Dead Redemption - Maybe have there be many different factors of the encounters become variables.

 

[RobThePrezodent]

in pokemon i give all my pokemon stupid names so it makes me lol when they're sent out. I've got compare, karting, west, away, go gadget and....someone else i can't remember. In terms of the actual battle i don't really do that much though

 

[Radeonx]

I'm fine with random encounters they way they are. I definitely prefer when they are only in certain areas, like Pokemon did it.

Yes, although the problem with Pokemon is that, unless you are walking, it happens far too often.
Thank god for Repels and such or I would never be able to finish a cave.

 

[Marter]

I'm fine with random encounters they way they are. I definitely prefer when they are only in certain areas, like Pokemon did it.

Yes, although the problem with Pokemon is that, unless you are walking, it happens far too often.
Thank god for Repels and such or I would never be able to finish a cave.

I've got no issue with it's frequency. Running doesn't take much time, and fighting them makes you level up pretty fast, so that the gym leaders aren't too hard.

 

[hopeneverdies]

Mother 3 probably handled it best. The soundtrack of the fight made physical attacks into a rhythm game. Pressing A to the beat built up a combo that could end off a fight fairly quickly. And to keep things from becoming too monotonous, there were tons of different battle themes.

 

[Kukakkau]

If said encountered monster was performing an action at the start of the encounter. Example - you stumble upon it when it's eating, it's trying to defend territory, they want to rob you. And depending on these actions give them positive/negative effects at start of battle - if they're busy doing something else make it negative, if they're coming right for you positive.

Just would give some more variety from things liked "Ambushed!" and "Pre-emptive Strike!" from games like Final Fantasy

 

[ottenni]

Make sure we get something out of it. Don't just throw masses of low level creeps at us to suck away all our hard earned potions. I'm looking at you Dragon Age Origins.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

I like them to be the way they are in sandbox games, the enemies wander about, and when they see you they attack, no "Battle mode, activate!" or anything.

 

[sdafdfhrye3245]

If there were more then 4 of the same enemy's in the area it would be better

 

[Internet Kraken]

I'm fine with random encounters so long as there is enemy diversity. The quickest way to make a fight feel repetitive is if you are fighting the same enemies over and over again. It gets boring very quickly. You just end up using one method throughout the entire dungeon to kill them. Without any variety, it quickly begins to feel tedious rather than fun. This is my biggest problem with Pokemon. There are over 400 Pokemon yet some areas, particularly caves, have you fight the same Pokemon over and over again. Though this might have to do more with someone on the development team thinking it's a good idea to put Geodude/Graveler and Zubat/Golbat in every single fucking cave.

 

[Madshaw]

in pokemon i give all my pokemon stupid names so it makes me lol when they're sent out. I've got compare, karting, west, away, go gadget and....someone else i can't remember. In terms of the actual battle i don't really do that much though

i did that aswell, i had home, to hell and was a bit disapointed that i couldn't fit the whole of f*ck yourself in

 

[Yureina]

Make sure we get something out of it. Don't just throw masses of low level creeps at us to suck away all our hard earned potions. I'm looking at you Dragon Age Origins.

No kidding. I was almost completely potion-starved when I was fighting through the fort right before the final boss. That was a little freaky until I found lots of potions right before the boss.

As far as random encounters go... they smell unless they are unique. JRPG encounters are too repetitive, while the Dragon Age ones were more irritating than entertaining. Now.. Fallout 3 had some cool random encounters.

 

[Bek359]

I've seen a partial Let's Play on Persona 4, and I like the way they do it. You can see the random encounters inside the dungeon as sort of shadowy haze, so you can't see what type they are. Once they see you, they'll chase after you, and when one of you attacks the other, it goes to the battle screen, where the once who hit the other first gets the first turn. The encounter disappears once you defeat it, but they respawn periodically, so the floor is never empty. It's a much better system, in my opinion, than looking around a dungeon for a treasure chest or item and being interrupted every 5 steps by a monster that just popped out of nowhere.

(Note: This is just my thoughts about how to do it well in a JRPG. I have no comment on how to do it well in a WRPG.)