Poll: Overtraining in games

[Rune342]

A couple of days ago a friend and I were comparing how each of us beat the Elite Four in Soul Silver. I used strategy and types to my advantage. My friend on the other hand beat them by training 20 levels higher than anything he would fight.

So my question is how do you feel about overtraining?

 

[SonicKoala]

I used a combination of both - trying to use types which would counter the elite four, while at the same time training my Pokemon to at least 5 or 10 levels higher than the Pokemon I would face.

If somebody wants to take the time to train their Pokemon that much, then more power to them. I certainly don't agree with level caps - that'd make the game significantly less fun, in my opinion. I personally enjoy mowing down the majority of trainers I face - it's quite rewarding.

 

[scrambledeggs]

There is a level cap.

 

[Rune342]

I am just using pokemon as an example. I am actually curious about how people feel about all games in general.

 

[fanklok]

Does it let me pwn a boss in a matter of seconds? Yes? Then spending 5 hours training to turn a 2 minute fight into a 30 second one is worth it.

 

[dangitall]

I usually play RPGs without overtraining, if i have to get a specific item to complete something (usually the level bosses), I would try not to "level up" so i can try to complete the objective the way it was supposed to be completed, but if i try too hard and still not succeed, I tend to overtrain, its fair, right?

 

[klakkat]

I've never had a problem with games having overtraining, provided the game doesn't require grinding to complete. I was a little disappointed in Fallout 3 when I hit the level cap, though this was offset a bit when I remembered that nothing was a challenge anymore anyway.

Though I do dislike games that adjust challenges to your level to no limit; In Fallout 3 and Morrowind this wasn't a problem since despite adjusting to your level, it only had a few set creatures to choose from (and Fallout 3 had a level cap anyway). In Mass Effect though, there was a slight problem since some enemies could get absurdly hard to kill should you make the mistake of gaining too many levels.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I don't care either way. I just don't partake in it, myself.

 

[Serenegoose]

I need overtraining to let me win games like pokemon or the final fantasies. I'm amazingly bad at them otherwise, and my mind seems to have a block when it comes to actually learning the tactics and tricks that other people use. I mean sure, I know to use lightning vs a water element, but the moment it moves past 'hit him with the hardest hitting attack you have which has a type advantage' I'm stuffed.

 

[Fappy]

People care about this? Back in the good old days we would just level Mew Two to 100 and GG the Elite Four in five minutes.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

In pokemon, Over-training kills the challenge. I'm proud to say that I won using my Dragonair that went in at level 42, came out at about level 50... and pretty much nothing else. It rocks.

 

[Agayek]

In the original Red/Blue games, every single time I beat the Elite Four using nothing but my Charizard. Hell, I didn't catch any Pokemon aside from those required to use HMs.

I just ran through the whole game using nothing but Charizard, and it was awesome.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

I don't care if you train to whatever level. What I do to make it fair is treat it like the show.

If the gym leader uses 4 pokemon, I use 4 pokemon. That way, its still fair, even if I put a little more time into raising my team than that lazy-ass gym leader Faulkner. Well, any gym leader... But Faulkner in particular. He's just an embarrassment.

 

[Lucane]

Over Training/leveling is fine but winning while at a lower level with skill/strategy is a classier victory.

 

[Bonkekook]

I went through the Elite Four with a highly leveled Alakazam(probably around 65) and a lv 40 Machamp with Revenge for the Dark pokemon. It wasn't really a case of training too much, but Alakazam was literally able to take down everything that attacked me on my journey, so it was always the first pokemon in.

I overleveled on the first Final Fantasy game, I think. There was one game I played though, did a little grinding at the start, and NEVER had to stop the rest of the way. Now that I think about it, it might have been Tales of Vesperia, although I can't say for certain anymore.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Since this is a game that is built entirely around the concept of getting horrible (yet adorable) monsters and having them murder other horrible (and slightly less adorable) monsters, I'd say I can't possibly fault a player for simply grinding to victory. That's all the game is to me anyhow, so if someone actually enjoys it enough to use the strategy, they've more than paid their dues in my book.

 

[foodmaniac]

I hate over-training in any game. It usually ruins any challenge presented whatsoever. Unless its a game like Xenosaga Ep. II, where your levels are useless.

 

[GodsAndFishes]

I usually have about a 5 level advantage at least as well as using type advantages. But I can use other dickish strategies to win such as buying thousands of hyper potions and max revives and just waiting for the opponent's pokemon to run out of pp for all their moves.

 

[Akihiko]

I don't go out of my way to overlevel in RPGs. Often it's quite fun beating enemys when you're severely underleveled, gives you that extra sense of accomplishment. It depends on the game usually though. If the battle system gets a bit boring, then sometimes I'll skip enemys. Although if the battle system is fun, then I wouldn't.

I know for a fact Tales of games I always end up overleveled, despite not grinding, because the battles are pretty fast, so I don't mind doing them, so that combined with me getting all the items in a dungeon, often levels me up a lot.

 

[joshuaayt]

Well, it's the same as overstudying for a test. You CAN make it through on wiles'n'guile alone, or you can study for a month straight. Both can be rewarding ('Man, I'm just THAT smart' vs 'Man, I beat EVERYONE") and both can screw up for people ("Man, I don't know this stuff" vs "Man, was this tenth grade biology test wanting me to write a twenty page summary on mitosis or did I completely waste my time?"