Bah, not to nag but if people's time is so precious that they can't wait a few seconds to do something then they shouldn't be playing games now should they? ;)

Except that:
* It adds up. A random encounter in a JRPG is like a ridiculously short level in another genre.
* There are games where said transitions are near-instantaneous.

Incidentaly, ln the SaGa remakes (Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song, SaGa 2 DS, SaGa 3 DS), it is worth getting into chain battles just to reduce the number of battle transitions needed to clear the enemies in the area. (Then again, in SaGa 2 DS, it is possible to blow all the enemies in a single spell, quickly taking out *all* the enemies and getting tons of money as a reward, so that's a nice way to get some extra money quickly.)

(Another time wasting example: I looked at the start of a FF7 speedrun and it was 50 seconds before anything other than starts were visible.)

1. Oh you meant random encounters? I was talking about going from areas to other areas outside of combat.

And yeah it adds up but people can save more time by simply sleeping a half hour less each day/etc if they are into saving time.

2. True, but there are also games where level/area loads take much much longer.

Actually, both random encounters and going between areas (particularly on accident) are situations where load times can be annoying.

(There's also situations where cutscenes have to be watched repeatedly.)

The cutscene thing can be annoying but at least with some games you can skip them or speed through the dialog in them.

Would it be fair to say this is true of most console games, or at least the older ones?

I never got into console, was always a pc guy, but my impression of every port from console I've played has been much smaller areas, longer load times, and FAR more frequent loads. DE2 was a nightmare compared to DE1, and it's small and simplified content ruined the game for me too. I've played Thief 1 and 2, but haven't gotten around to T3 yet. One of the fun things about the other Ts were their large maps. If T3 breaks them up like DE2 did, then it does sound like it will suck.

Missions in the game are broken up into like 2-3 sections per "level" with loads between such if you have to travel between them. Also the hubs town areas are also broken up this way and guards/civvies respawn every so often, making it key to hide as good as possible.

Also when playing the xbox version on the 360 light sources(torches/portals glow trails) bleed through walls/etc.

In my experience only PS2 and XBOX (original) did this [game limitations] due to laughable system specs, especially RAM. As for the current generation almost every AAA game is a straight port to PC but due to similar architecture recent ports are solid with additional settings for higher quality, ports from PS3/XBOX 360 were really bad. Unfortunately PC gamers lacking some good ports, for instance there is no Tomb Raider: Director's Cut version for PC, but there is a mod in the works with most but not all features included.
As for the Thief 3, yeah, you'll get the same experience as in Deus Ex 2 with minor differences, some areas are ridiculous even by DE2 standards. There is a fan mod which combines mission areas into one whole map, the city hub level can't be fixed due to technical issues. But beware this mod killed my game, corrupted a save and also implemented some unusual and nasty bugs. I had to revert back to original game only to play the game without fear that something could go wrong. Maybe you'll be more lucky, anyway you've been warned.

P.S. I am too a PC guy, but occasionally there are really good exclusives popped out here and there which you can't play natively even with the best emulation software. I completed a few PS3/PS4 exclusives and it was an awesome gaming experience .

Unpatched oblivion... every 10 metres LOADING...

Downloading a game from steam on Australia's internet

9999 Years, 11 months, 29 days, 59 minutes, 59 seconds until skyrim is ready to play

YEAAAAAARGH!

This is a good reason why I saved up for awhile and bought multiple used(old and modern) systems so I could try various exclusives.

Australians are tough....you guys/gals shjould lay some more internet cable under the ocean to improve speeds/bandwidth/etc. Have the spiders help...they seem to be strong enough. ;)

Eh, I like em more on PS3 as I can save saves to the system and play with a controller on an original PS system with my bigish tv.

Respawns? Really?? That further damages realism. Next you'll tell me it gives achievements.

Such as? I just have an overall negative experience with console games. Not just map size, but incredibly simplified (dare I say "juvenile") content and plot, and a clunky, blocky feel. Jade Empire sounded awesome, but gameplay was sadly underwhelming.

1. They don't spawn in your surroundings but a bit away so you don't notice it(as if people were moving through the city areas and entered/left them as they chose) and it's more believable. It does get annoying sometimes, though.

2. What one person considers juvenile or simplified some might find good.....as for examples of good games the Uncharted games are simplistic shooters/puzzle games but are pretty decent music/character/plot wise imo.

Also the Batman Arkham games are good as well(well the first is, as I haven't played the others yet).

- The Last of Us (PS3) / The Last of Us Remastered (PS4)
- whole God of War series (originals on PS2/PSP or remakes on PS3, 2 games PS3 and the last one on PS4) except for mobile game called Betrayal.
- Killzone 2 (PS3), other games are not very good
- Heavenly Sword (PS3)
- Ico (original on PS2, remakes on PS3/PS4), Shadow of the Colossus (PS2/PS3/PS4) is not for everyone, never played The Last Guardian (PS4) heard it's quite good

These games are definitely not "juvenile".

Jade Empire is much better on PC and can not be considered as console exclusive. And yes this game is boring as hell, but it's better than Baldur's Gate 1.

Uncharted is "juvenile" all right ;)
Good looking tech demo with goofy protagonist and god awful stupid enemies, the game has questionable physics and unnatural bullet mechanics. Thank god they improved greatly with The Last of Us.

Batman Arkham games can not be considered as console exclusives since we have PC ports. Not "juvenile" but childish at times.