Poll: Expendable/Limited Use Items

[RedDeadFred]

It depends on the game, but usually I just hoard them for that really tough encounter that never happens.

The only consumables I can think of that I use often are some of those in Fallout 4. Because Jet is a hell of a drug.

 

[Frankster]

If I use them now I might not have them later when I really, really, REALLY need them D:

That's the approach I default to, and it serves me well, since when I do fight tough bosses I can just chug down all the hp pots and revive pots I've been ignoring until now.
So really expendables are only for tough bosses would be my accurate answer I feel, I try to hoard them as much as possible but once my butt is getting kicked I melt through my stash to guarantee a win.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

I used to hoard the hell out of them.

Now? Now I use them when I need them. I still hold on to "But I might need it later" for some of the more rare and powerful stuff (mega-elixirs and the like), but I've been using items more.

Games have gotten a lot easier as a result when I actually use the stuff that's intended to be used. XD

I try to keep this in mind for the RPGs I use too, trying to make items feel like something that should be actually used. Not sure how well I succeed, but I do try.

 

[wings012]

I used to horde items and never use them. Used to.

After beating a few RPGs with my inventory spilling with potions and shit, I started using them. And I still end the game with a copious supply of them anyway...

And if there's a crafting system, you can bet I will be chugging the hell out of them.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

Mimic beacons in XCOM 2. I have on solid authority that they are amazing, but I cannot bring myself to use them because of the relative scarcity of resources in the game. If I develop a playstyle that is too dependent on their use and I run out of faceless corpses to make them from then I'm screwed.

now flashbangs I can be talked into using as they are renewable. medkits, hell yeah, but not mimic beacons.

Wait, but mimic beacons ARE renewable, right?

Not sure first hand. I know combat adrenals are not and mimic beacons are way stronger. If I'm wrong, I'll find out in my fresh new playthrough. Community guides strongly imply they are NOT renewable. They say to NEVER sell faceless corpses.

After just playing XCOM 2 last night, I can confirm for you that Mimimc Beacons are reusable. Having said that, you are right about not wanting to build a strategy out of using them. Since in my experience, they go down in one hit, and you're sacrificing a potential 2 moves to throw it - might as well just blast the bugger. So unless you really have no option (out of ammo, last character in isolation, no friends around, or only one enemy, OR you just want to save the kill for a lower ranker), they're not that much use.

I was also panicked about this because the first one I created, I didn't get to use for a long time since the Ranger I equipped with it got captured straight away. And it was quite awhile 'til I rescued him, or got enough Faceless corpses to make another.

 

[Raddra]

One game I've been playing recently is Fire Emblem: Awakening. That game is a constant gamble of useable items. I tend to be the hoarder who just keeps everything until really really needed, and by the time the credit rolls I have an abundance of everything including cash. But in FE:A literally *everything* is limited use, which means balancing out lower end weapons against the higher.

One tip for FE:A is to maximise your luck and go.. mercenary I think? They get a special ability called armsthrift I think. Increases the chance you won't use a charge of your weapon.

You can get it to the point theres only a 1-2% chance of losing a weapon charge, so you can make end game use of those OP 3-4x hits swords, make them blue quality. and you basically just trivialise everything.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

One game I've been playing recently is Fire Emblem: Awakening. That game is a constant gamble of useable items. I tend to be the hoarder who just keeps everything until really really needed, and by the time the credit rolls I have an abundance of everything including cash. But in FE:A literally *everything* is limited use, which means balancing out lower end weapons against the higher.

One tip for FE:A is to maximise your luck and go.. mercenary I think? They get a special ability called armsthrift I think. Increases the chance you won't use a charge of your weapon.

You can get it to the point theres only a 1-2% chance of losing a weapon charge, so you can make end game use of those OP 3-4x hits swords, make them blue quality. and you basically just trivialise everything.

Yeah thanks, I kinda overlooked the Mercenary class and now with all my main characters Master sealed, I wonder if there's anyway I can still obtain that skill. Never even looked into it until now! Seems you get it from lvl 1, so the only thing left is to pick a character with the most Luck. Would finally put some purpose into forging in that game too, with overpowered weapons. That would be a kickass character if you could get Galeforce on him/her as well.

 

[Raddra]

You can use a normal seal on them and regress them to a base class once more I believe. Doing this you can learn nearly all the skills for your characters gender.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

You can use a normal seal on them and regress them to a base class once more I believe. Doing this you can learn nearly all the skills for your characters gender.

Oh that is good info. Might try that then. Quite a few of my Master sealed characters are lvl 15 and got their skill for that class already, so I'll just bring one of 'em back to Merc. Thanks again!

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

I tend to not want to use them and sell them all or store them all. Like my strategy in games tends to ignore consumables very often...

 

[jklinders]

Mimic beacons in XCOM 2. I have on solid authority that they are amazing, but I cannot bring myself to use them because of the relative scarcity of resources in the game. If I develop a playstyle that is too dependent on their use and I run out of faceless corpses to make them from then I'm screwed.

now flashbangs I can be talked into using as they are renewable. medkits, hell yeah, but not mimic beacons.

Wait, but mimic beacons ARE renewable, right?

Not sure first hand. I know combat adrenals are not and mimic beacons are way stronger. If I'm wrong, I'll find out in my fresh new playthrough. Community guides strongly imply they are NOT renewable. They say to NEVER sell faceless corpses.

After just playing XCOM 2 last night, I can confirm for you that Mimimc Beacons are reusable. Having said that, you are right about not wanting to build a strategy out of using them. Since in my experience, they go down in one hit, and you're sacrificing a potential 2 moves to throw it - might as well just blast the bugger. So unless you really have no option (out of ammo, last character in isolation, no friends around, or only one enemy, OR you just want to save the kill for a lower ranker), they're not that much use.

I was also panicked about this because the first one I created, I didn't get to use for a long time since the Ranger I equipped with it got captured straight away. And it was quite awhile 'til I rescued him, or got enough Faceless corpses to make another.

I stand corrected then. Sounds like they were nerfed. I usually like my item slots to have grenades or medkits, so aside from flashbangs which can be literal lifesavers that's what I go with.

 

[KiyoMoon]

It really depends on the game and the item itself. Potions in Diablo II? Hell I guzzle them down like no tomorrow! Stat Increase Items in the Mario & Luigi RPGs? Sure, why not! But in games like Skyrim? Eh... I tend to grab everything I can and shove it in a box somewhere for later use and could kick myself in the a**, if I encounter a situation where I would need them.

It depends on how useful the item is... If I got a healing spell that heals more than a healing potion, why should I use the potion?

 

[Zaltys]

I knew that RPG-gamers are hoarders, but I didn't expect the poll to be that lopsided.

Same goes for me: I usually hoard, partly because there's rarely any need for expendables, and partly because I might actually need them later.

Only one exception that I can think of: South Park. Consumables were plentiful, easily replaceable, and didn't cost a turn to use. So no reason not to use them.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I only use stuff I can buy back. Everything else rots at the bottom of the bag.

 

[sageoftruth]

Depends on inventory space. If this is a game with unlimited inventory, the rare item will probably be too rare to use in my case. However, if it's taking up space in my limited inventory, that should hammer home the point that I should put this thing to use, and will probably find something else to take its place later on.

 

[shaun_m]

I like to hoard. I may use uncommon and common items if I get in a bad situation against a boss or if I'm at risk of losing a lot of progress if I get game overed. It's the same as I am in real life, only spending money when needed.

I also like having a minimum of one item just for the sake of collection.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

I always hoard items but it varies from game to game regarding how much I use them. In Elder Scrolls and Fallout I'll down healing items all day if I have to. In JRPGs I'm a bit more conservative and will use healing magic when possible. In Pokemon I have a bad habit of always running back to the Pokecenter when using an item would be a lot more convenient. In Demon's Souls I'll be careful with grass early on but later in the game I'll be munching excessive amounts of it since I always end up over stocked. In Dark Souls I use homeward bones like they're going out of fashion. If I can avoid a thirty second walk to the bonfire I will. Can't use those divine blessings though since you only get a handful per playthrough.

I do generally adhere to the rule of the rarer/more expensive the item the less likely I am to use it.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I wind up hoarding but I don't have a problem using one-time use items. In Pokemon I like using TMs since a lot of those are moves that Pokemon can't naturally learn. I don't play Pokemon competitively but I do love the idea of giving my Pokemon unlikely attacks, like a Gyarados that can use Thunderbolt because screw your expectations!