The most worthless game mechanics/features

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Okay, the leaning makes more sense but very few games give you the ability to chuck grenades at a moment's notice. The main one that I can think of is Halo. It is really annoying in Halo being able to instantly chuck a grenade but it also makes the game fun. Throwing a stick and nailing your opponent is enjoyable to do but I understand how that is annoying. Most of the other online shooter don't allow you to throw grenades that fast. COD has the delay of you pulling the pin and there is also a delay in Titanfall also. This delay magically disappears when using C4 which is the dumbest parts of both games.

And shooter aren't devolving just the special moves/abilities that you are using changes. COD has the drive and drop-shot to get the edge in combat and Halo has the twitch side to side. These abilities can really make a difference in your level of play. The main difference in these game (and where i think your frustration comes from, maybe) is that they are not needed. I never use the drop-shot is COD and I can still get massive kill streaks. The vast majority of players don't use them but they are in the game. Just out shooting your opponents is the main part but these side skill can make a difference. The difference they make however is limited. The vast majority of online shooter allow low skilled player to enter then they get better. Titanfall has the Smart Auto-aim pistol. Great for Noobs but get out classed by every other gun once you are good at shooting.

There is a lot more the the modern shooter then just moving and aiming but it is muted so that new players can still enjoy the game. Also what shooter can't you move forwards while looking backwards? There is no standard FPS. Each has small changes that make a difference. DOTA 2 and LOL are similar games but there is a difference between them. That being said, I understand you finding the low skill needed shooters boring. Even with the small changes there is not a lot of dept that that is what makes it fun for many. Easy to learn, impossible to master, always having fun.

The act of having to switch to grenades makes a big difference to me, plus even with the animation delay (like you mention), you're still wasting a button for no reason.

I think the Treyarch CODs have "the flop" but I'm not sure as I played COD4 and realized how simple the game is due to the killstreak rewards (which is another horrible mechanic as it rewards camping). All shooters usually have the drop shot but I don't find it that useful, not nearly as useful as the slide (which I believe MOH Warfighter, COD Ghosts, and the latest Killzone have). After playing Warfighter with the slide and then trying the BF4 beta, not having the slide just felt so limiting. By the nature of the 1st-person camera, you can't move your character forward while looking behind you like say you're walking to your garage and you can look behind you down the driveway while still moving towards your garage (you can't do that in COD, Bioshock, Borderlands, BF, and every FPS). In a FPS, you can only move in the direction you are looking.

 

[Flammablezeus]

X-ray vision/wallhacks (Batman, Far Cry 3, The Last of Us) is a big one for me. As well as mini-maps, crosshairs (that aren't attached to guns,) objective markers, built-in "hints" that simply tell you what to do, quick-time events and the use of teleportation as "fast travel" in lieu of actual fast travel options.

There may be more, but they're the ones that spring immediately to mind.

 

[jademunky]

Edit: You know, stuff that somehow you know someone thought he had this brilliant idea at 2am while taking a shit in the toilet and managed to convice his coworkers to waste time implementing it.

The morphine use in Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

For those of you not familiar, the game is a 1st-person action/adventure/stealth/horror game. At any point in time, you can inject yourself with Morphine. This temporarily takes away the negative status effects from injuries (you stop limping if your leg is hurt for example) although you still lose blood. The downside of it is that you lose sanity and it causes your vision to trip balls, everything goes wavy and difficult to see what is really going on.

Now this effect is totally awesome, made slightly less awesome by one tiny fact: You will almost certainly never need to use it. Seriously, I finished the game several times did not actually need to use it at all. I only tried it when I wanted to see what would happen.

I understand that the developers put it in there so that there would be a way out if you found yourself with an injured leg and without a wooden splint, then having to make a running jump to get to where you needed. Yes, under those specific circumstances you would need the morphine to be able to run. But still, it feels like it was added just because Lovecraft's protagonists have a tendency to eventually turn to substance abuse to block out the memories.

Now that I think about it, the stealth mechanics in the same game also qualify as useless. At least they become useless after you get a gun.

 

[Tanis]

QTE - At least in cut-scenes...

It does not add 'immersion'.
It does not add 'drama'.
It does not add 'happiness'.

It DOES add annoyance.

 

[grey_space]

It's been mentioned before but Galactic readiness in ME3. I don't play multiplayer so fuck you for messing with my single player experience and fucking up my ending trying to MAKE my play it.

Randomly getting to flush/use the toilet for no discernible reason in FPS/RPG shooters.

I get it there are bathrooms. Brilliant immersion there game designers, well done.

I mean in Duke Nukem and Fallout the affected your stats, fair enough, but in other games than them it's pretty useless.

Attunement in Dark Souls annoys me also, now I think of it.

Edit: Spelling

 

[TorchofThanatos]

Okay, the leaning makes more sense but very few games give you the ability to chuck grenades at a moment's notice. The main one that I can think of is Halo. It is really annoying in Halo being able to instantly chuck a grenade but it also makes the game fun. Throwing a stick and nailing your opponent is enjoyable to do but I understand how that is annoying. Most of the other online shooter don't allow you to throw grenades that fast. COD has the delay of you pulling the pin and there is also a delay in Titanfall also. This delay magically disappears when using C4 which is the dumbest parts of both games.

And shooter aren't devolving just the special moves/abilities that you are using changes. COD has the drive and drop-shot to get the edge in combat and Halo has the twitch side to side. These abilities can really make a difference in your level of play. The main difference in these game (and where i think your frustration comes from, maybe) is that they are not needed. I never use the drop-shot is COD and I can still get massive kill streaks. The vast majority of players don't use them but they are in the game. Just out shooting your opponents is the main part but these side skill can make a difference. The difference they make however is limited. The vast majority of online shooter allow low skilled player to enter then they get better. Titanfall has the Smart Auto-aim pistol. Great for Noobs but get out classed by every other gun once you are good at shooting.

There is a lot more the the modern shooter then just moving and aiming but it is muted so that new players can still enjoy the game. Also what shooter can't you move forwards while looking backwards? There is no standard FPS. Each has small changes that make a difference. DOTA 2 and LOL are similar games but there is a difference between them. That being said, I understand you finding the low skill needed shooters boring. Even with the small changes there is not a lot of dept that that is what makes it fun for many. Easy to learn, impossible to master, always having fun.

The act of having to switch to grenades makes a big difference to me, plus even with the animation delay (like you mention), you're still wasting a button for no reason.

I think the Treyarch CODs have "the flop" but I'm not sure as I played COD4 and realized how simple the game is due to the killstreak rewards (which is another horrible mechanic as it rewards camping). All shooters usually have the drop shot but I don't find it that useful, not nearly as useful as the slide (which I believe MOH Warfighter, COD Ghosts, and the latest Killzone have). After playing Warfighter with the slide and then trying the BF4 beta, not having the slide just felt so limiting. By the nature of the 1st-person camera, you can't move your character forward while looking behind you like say you're walking to your garage and you can look behind you down the driveway while still moving towards your garage (you can't do that in COD, Bioshock, Borderlands, BF, and every FPS). In a FPS, you can only move in the direction you are looking.

The critic of not being able to move forwards while looking behind you is kinda pointless because you can move backwards when you look forwards. Most FPS don't have you move your head but move your body because you need to shoot that direction. Your gun always needs to be in the direction that you are looking. I just don't understand the criticism because it really doesn't seem important to me. When would looking behind you but not shooting ever be effective? Many third person games do allow you to do this though but by there nature it works. Having to switch to a grenades just seems like adding a not needed step. Most shooters don't need that many buttons anyways. The ones that do are usually RPG shooters or have some other gimmick (ME for example). If you haven't played Titanfall yet you should. Their movement system is amazing. What I like most about it is it gives you the added abilities of movement but doesn't require them for the shooting. The slide is like jumping in COD or Halo. There are meant to surprise your enemy and give you an edge inside of straight fighting them. Titanfall uses their movement system to allow you to get in a better position then start the fight not so much as am ambush technic. But, then again I haven't really played a game with a good slide so my answer is kinda bias. I might need to try Warfighter out.

Oh, yeah and Killstreaks are terrible! Total agree there. Another reason I like Titanfall, titans are given to everyone. That game is not prefect but it might be a good start to a series.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

I expected to see QTEs listed here about fifty billion times. Not on the first page anyway!

I will go with a kind-of-annoying feature from a game I kind-of-love: the "pipe dream" minigame in the original "Bioshock". It replaces the "hack" / "repair" function in System Shock 2, the difference being that 1) "System Shock 2"'s function is far simpler and can also be made easier depending where you choose to spend your upgrade modules, so it affects how you play the game in other ways, 2) "System Shock 2"'s function happens in real-time (so there's a definite time real-world time constraint and you REALLY have to make sure the area is clear of enemies before you start hacking something unless you want a pipe through the skull), and 3) "Bioshock"'s minigame really makes no sense in terms of the world you're in. How on earth does changing the flow of water change whether a security camera or turret recognises you as a "friend" or an "enemy"? How is that even possible?

I really like most of "Bioshock". But that pipe dream minigame just stopped the game dead and made no sense.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

the panting sound they put into skyrim when sprinting.

If you play the game without the music on as I do (it's not always a good time for bellowing operatic music), then the games soundtrack becomes asthmatic man trying desperately to catch his breath

Ha! Good one.

The cooking mechanics in Skyrim and FO:NV. I never once needed to use them. It's easy enough to recover health without this mechanic. Not that I want them to take it out. It's harmless, immersiony and I'm sure some people use it but I find it useless.

Another good one!

X-ray vision/wallhacks (Batman, Far Cry 3, The Last of Us) is a big one for me. As well as mini-maps, crosshairs (that aren't attached to guns,) objective markers, built-in "hints" that simply tell you what to do, quick-time events and the use of teleportation as "fast travel" in lieu of actual fast travel options.

There may be more, but they're the ones that spring immediately to mind.

And a THIRD good one. You guys are on fire today.

About the X-ray vision thing: did anybody ever play "Batman: Arkham Asylum" with this turned OFF for the most part? I didn't.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

i got another one

vehicle cover in Company of Heroes, its mentioned in the loading screen tips of the game, but its never really explained, and turns out, it makes almost no difference, it works like this, if you place a vehicle behind certain pieces of cover in the environment, it receives a reduced accuracy modifier, its harder to hit for the enemy, just a counple of problems here

1) for some reason, this cover, unlike the infantry cover mechanics in the game, is not directional, meaning you can get this bonus by placing your vehicle on the WRONG SIDE of the cover

2) heavier vehicles have a harder time receiving this bonus because they might destroy the cover by mistake

3) vehicles receive reduced accuracy modifiers by moving, and in general, moving around is a much better option than standing in one place, so this makes the vehicle cover almost completely obsolete

 

[Ninjat_126]

Na I don't mind them either. If its telegraphed and you can negate it is not cheap. I hate them if you have a boss that is an easy hit sponge for half of the fight and then can 1 hit kill or near 1 hit kill for the second half though. Makes the first half feel like its just there to waste your damn time.

Yeah, pretty much. You should be punished if you decide to run up to an enemy willy nilly, but distant 1 hit ko attacks should have some motion/sound/something to show that the attack is about to come.

If it can instantly kill you, it should be telegraphed. There should be some way of knowing that something's about to come and make you dead no matter what.

Attunement in Dark Souls annoys me also, now I think of it.

Edit: Spelling

Yeah, I get where you're going. Dark Souls II makes it increase casting speed, instead of it just being there for extra spellcasting slots. There are rings and items that boost your attunement though, and it makes sure that casters can't just stack pure INT if they want to be effective.

Sticky cover systems. There is no need to attach me to a wall for me to take cover. The game often has perfectly good movement controls. If I want to be in cover I can easily use those controls to move behind something and stay there without breaking any sense of control/mechanical consistency. It is unnecessary and only makes my experience worse.

I like sticky cover systems actually, in many contexts. In Resident Evil 5 and 6 they just feel stupid, though.

I think the problem is that the Sprint, Get Into Cover and Get Out Of Cover buttons are almost always all the same. The ability to slide into cover in the Mass Effect series has saved me many, many times... and killed me almost as many when Shepard decided to headbutt the wall instead of stick to it. Two seperate buttons for Take Cover and Leave Cover would fix most of the problems I have with this.

Red Orchestra (II) does it pretty well, actually. And by well, I mean dreadfully. You have a button to stick to cover, another to brace your gun against the wall and a third to crouch down behind it. Then again, this is a game where semi-automatic rifles are considered cutting edge and getting shot at causes your character to shake in fear, so it kind of works.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The critic of not being able to move forwards while looking behind you is kinda pointless because you can move backwards when you look forwards. Most FPS don't have you move your head but move your body because you need to shoot that direction. Your gun always needs to be in the direction that you are looking. I just don't understand the criticism because it really doesn't seem important to me. When would looking behind you but not shooting ever be effective? Many third person games do allow you to do this though but by there nature it works. Having to switch to a grenades just seems like adding a not needed step. Most shooters don't need that many buttons anyways. The ones that do are usually RPG shooters or have some other gimmick (ME for example). If you haven't played Titanfall yet you should. Their movement system is amazing. What I like most about it is it gives you the added abilities of movement but doesn't require them for the shooting. The slide is like jumping in COD or Halo. There are meant to surprise your enemy and give you an edge inside of straight fighting them. Titanfall uses their movement system to allow you to get in a better position then start the fight not so much as am ambush technic. But, then again I haven't really played a game with a good slide so my answer is kinda bias. I might need to try Warfighter out.

Oh, yeah and Killstreaks are terrible! Total agree there. Another reason I like Titanfall, titans are given to everyone. That game is not prefect but it might be a good start to a series.

You can walk back very slowly. I'm talking about moving in a direction at normal speed (or sprinting) and looking back or to the side. I do that so often in TPSs, especially when you're flanking around the enemy team, you want to look behind you due to your back then facing the enemy's spawn area. Also, I can't do what I did in this video at 7:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrbDF032LQ] in a FPS.

I won't get a chance to play Titanfall until a sequel, I don't PC game nor am I going to get an Xbone. Warfighter's MP is actually really fucking awesome. The single player is complete shit though, the reason for the bad reviews. The slide is so awesome; once you play a FPS with it, you won't wanna go back. Far Cry 3 has a slide but it's weird because it resets the camera angle at the end of the slide messing your aim up.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

Also, compulsory button mashing.

In order to non-lethally knock someone out in Hitman Absolution, I have to repeatedly press a button? Why can't I press a button once and have 47 take the guy out?
In order to prise open a door (among other things) in the new Tomb Raider, I have to repeatedly press a button? Why can't I just press the button once and have Lara take it from there?

Oh heck yes. 10,000 times yes.

I hate this mechanic every time it appears, it's just so unnecessary. Especially when I'm using a keyboard (which I am 90% of the time). And can we add mechanics where you have to, say, twirl the mouse in a circular motion to "crank" something? (Amnesia the Dark Descent, I'm looking at you.) I'm just... WHY? It doesn't add tension, it doesn't add to the experience. It just takes you "out of the game" and makes you acutely aware of what you're using to control it. Instead of being aware of the game itself.

 

[Pink Gregory]

the panting sound they put into skyrim when sprinting.

If you play the game without the music on as I do (it's not always a good time for bellowing operatic music), then the games soundtrack becomes asthmatic man trying desperately to catch his breath

You should hear it in Miasmata...

Gentle slopes and gathering mushrooms.

HUH, HUH, HUH, HUH, HUH, GUH.

 

[dlharp2]

Posing after drinking a potion in Monster Hunter.

I know the potion must taste great, but there are things that want to eat you at the moment.

 

[aozgolo]

Camera Panning Cutscene Intros... like seriously it's a game, you can use ANY camera angle you want including completely impossible ones to frame your cutscene how you want, don't arbitrarily pan to the action, panning should only be used to move from one action camera angle to another, not to annoyingly draw out your "emotional tripe" unskippable cutscene to better time it with the melodramatic music.

Also in games like Skyrim when the developers invest a lot of time making really cool weapons and armor that are never going to be used by anyone because you already got better stuff in the first intro dungeon... Looking at you Hide, and Iron armor.

 

[cdemares]

Stamina bars for running and encumbrance in RPGs. I hate those so much.

I have to defend grenade and melee buttons. If I run right into a person, should we really have to shoot each other to death and circle strafe when we can touch each other? Why not just resolve that fast and keep the flow going?

As for grenades, grenades already have a delay. It's baked-in for balance. If you throw a grenade while being shot at, you will die because you forfeit that time instead of shooting back. I should know. You throw the grenade before the shooting starts. I remember the days when I had to select grenades before throwing them, I never did it ever. Having to select grenades or melee makes them worthless.

 

[Fractral]

Posing after drinking a potion in Monster Hunter.

I know the potion must taste great, but there are things that want to eat you at the moment.

Oh god, this so much. I was trying to kill a Qurupeco in MH3U earlier today and it's so aggravating when I get set on fire because the animation for healing is unnecessarily long.
Adventures from Crusader kings are pretty stupid. I'm the Holy Roman Emperor, I have the largest army in the known world, so why can some random asshole with a claim on my titles suddenly raise an army twice the size of my own? And how come this one province is somehow able to raise an army larger than is capable of being sustained in it in the first place? If there are 30000 well armed peasants living there, why the hell can't I raise them?

 

[unindexedsearchengine]

I absolutely love how about half of this thread is people complaining about entirely optional content added simply to increase immersion, and the kind of things you'd find people praising in a stock "little details you like in games" thread.

OT: People have mentioned numerous bad, even horrendous game mechanics in this thread. Bad, but not necessarily worthless. About a worthless game mechanic?

Mother.
Fucking.
Checkpoints.

Especially if there is no alternative. If the game has checkpoints, or autosaves at time intervals or based on certain actions, I guess I'm okay with that, but let me do my own goddamn saving.
Hell, the system might not even be so pointless if the bloody checkpoints would be in sensible places, but the locations of these things in about 90% of the games that use them make them more of a hindrance than anything else.

At least give me the option to save when I want to, game. Seriously.

 

[bug_of_war]

If it can instantly kill you, it should be telegraphed. There should be some way of knowing that something's about to come and make you dead no matter what.

Yeah, but if you run directly in front a an enemy in say ME3 or Gears of War that telegraph should not be 5 seconds long, at most it should be 2 seconds like how the locusts rev the chainsaw, you have like a 1 second chance to dive roll backwards or raise your own chainsaw. You know the enemies in games mentioned above are deadly and you should be punished for trying to shoot them from a distance of 30cm.