This just occurred to me. What are the tiny features or happenings that you just love in your games?

The Rise of Nations discussion reminded me that in RTS games where some resource is quite valuable and often scarce, you obtain some item or somesuch which gives you an unlimited supply of it for that mission.

In Age of Empires (1 or 2?) you'd sometimes find that magical item somewhere on the map that your monk can carry over to your temple, and then you keep getting a bit of gold all the time, taking one of the major headaches away.

Similarly in Dungeon Keeper, when you find and secure one of those purple gold blocks that never run out of gold, I give a huge "phew!" sound. I recall though that at some point every level had one, the question was merely to find it and secure it so that the enemy can't disturb your mining operations.

Note: this isn't the same as those RTS games where the resources are infinite by default, e.g. Total Annihilation. I'm referring to resources which seem scarce, but sometimes the game gives you a limitless option for it, as long as you find some secret.

I think that might be secrets. Sometimes, little details hidden in the scenes that could tell something. But what I like is having the most powerful power up some point in the game that turns the game from you being challenged to the enemies being challenged.

Interactive scenery.

Bottles, tables, TVs, toilets, pool tables, and yes strippers.

I'm talking to you Duke. :P

Songs that are remixed multiple times so when you go from hostile to friendly areas it doesn't have a jarring change in music.

Funny flavortext, usually with weapons or armor making you actually pay attention.

Alternate audio/reaction scripts for when you do something other than what they said to do.

- Being able to save anytime anywhere (emulators are often the only programs giving you this option).
- Humour spread throughout the details.
- In game radio that lets you choose between styles in the soundtrack, like in the GTA series or Fallout 3, more games need this.

I love when you discover the perfect combination of moves and skills in an RPG that makes your character unstoppable..
I particularly remember in FF V when I realised I could have a dual wielding character with X-Attack and Sword Magic. So I could attack eight times with elemental damage.

I love the little details in games, the effort put into descriptions or the details in the background of a scene that make it more real.

Lots and lots of trivia, like the autopsy results in XCom, and the database in ME that details several alien species, alien customs, and completely inconsequential stuff such as space combat tactics.

Related to this: expanded unit descriptions in RTS/TBS games, such as the cool unit descriptions in KKND's manual and the ingame unit descriptions in Age of Wonders.

+1
Loved the TV shows that are shown on various TVs in Max Payne.

The only annoying thing with those gems was when they were embedded in solid rock so that only one side could be mined. You would then not be able to mine enough gold to keep up with the cost of training a respectable force, so you would have to cast speed spells and slap your imps to give the mining a boost. I think two/three levels were like that.

I like when there's small pop-cultural references here and there (Fallout, I'm looking at you, but also Please don't touch anything and other good games).

Boobs.

Another quick shout out to our departing Duke; the O.J. Bronco chase on the TV? Are you serious!? XD For all the grief we give designers, sometimes I don't think we give them nearly enough praise. It is pure genius.

Real life things you can relate to like walking past a fridge and being able to see a post-it reminding the character to buy milk and eggs for instances. Makes the world seem more alive and credible.