Who thought that was a good mechanic? I don't like it when games punish a player for dying like that.

(There's a reason I always use save states when playing classic Wizardry.)

Here's another one.

Zelda: A Link to the Past (GBA version):
I managed to get the level 4 sword and silver arrows *without* first aquiring the Moon Pearl. (The Moon Pearl is what keeps you from turning into a rabbit in the Dark World. Guess where the level 4 sword and silver arrows are?)

Actually, I would prefer it if the game would encourage going headstrong into higher level monsters rather than discouraging it.

In the TeamFortress Classic map 2fort5, I shot at an enemy medic on the bridge between the two bases, when he was running towards my base and I was running towards his.

Unbeknownst to me, apparently that was some kind of cardinal sin, at least on that server. They even had a term for that violation, I don't remember what it was but something like "mid-level fighting" or something like that. Apparently they felt that the area between the two bases was a demilitarized zone where you were not supposed to engage enemies you see there. Combat only inside bases, thank you.

So I was banned from that server then. Their rules didn't say anything about a violation like that, but apparently it was some kind of unwritten agreement that you shouldn't fight enemies outside the bases.


Another "violation" I did on another TFC server on that same map, was building a sentry gun outside my base. I built it on that bridge joining the bases, and I was quite effective with it, preventing enemies from getting out of their base.

I got banned because according to them an engineer should stay inside his base, only defending. Frankly, I think someone just made that rule up right there in order to have a reason to ban me, he didn't want to admit I was too good playing offensive as an engineer.

Silly rules, but oh well.

Here's another interesting one.

I beat Etrian Odyssey (the main game, not the postgame) without a Medic, relying only on a Protector and a Troubadour for my healing.

I suppose there could be an argument for that too; however, I certainly think at the time, everyone else playing the game would have gladly offered up me , my first born and my good intentions of fighting off those Wemics if they could have avoided the carnage that evening.

Final Fantasy 8, Beating final boss with this strategy :

Squall act as healer
Rinoa use limit break, went berserk and controlled by AI. Leave her with only 2 magic, meteor and ultima
Irvine HP is always red, went full limit break. If died, revived by Squall with minimum HP


Star Ocean 2, Beating final boss in 10 minutes, playing as Rena

Playing as Rena has an advantage, it's that you can recruit Dias Flac, which is basically another Claude (the male main character). Strategy goes like this

Cloud, controlled by player, using double slash repeatedly
Dias, controlled by AI, using double slash repeatedly
Opera, controlled by AI, using only Alpha On One repeatedly to cancel Boss Attack
Rena, controlled by AI, went full defensive and healing

this combo manage to restrick final boss movement successfully that he basically had no chance to attack more than twice in a row, because anyone played Star Ocean 2 knows the final boss only need 3-4 attack in a row to wipe out your party. That damn boss is still one of the most impressive boss I've ever fight in an rpg game

Whacky wheels?

That reminds me:

Star Ocean 2: Used Rena as my main, having her do some very nice damage with physical attacks. Alternatively, have her spam Star Flare, which casts quickly, targets all enemies, and interrupts the enemy's attack, so the enemies have trouble getting their attacks in. (Note that time stops during the spell animation, so it's effectively instant.) Meanwhile, I would use Opera or Noel for healing (because Rena is too busy doing other stuff).

I have read that, in Star Ocean 3, the game's main spellcaster (who, for whatever reason, doesn't join until late) can make an effective tank in the late game; you just need to set her up so that she has a lot of MP, keeps regenerating MP (MP regen is percentage based), and all damage she takes goes to her MP instead of her HP.

I got every achievement in Alone in the Dark (2008)

'Drops Mic'

You would also probably prefer if COD players would sit down and talk out their problems rather than shooting each other, but then again that would make for a very boring and lame video game.

And you should lose experience when you die. Death in video games is one of the few ways to actually teach the gamer not to suck. In my day sucking at the arcades cost you a great deal of money. Now all you have to do is hit the ENTER/X button and try again. Failure can never truly be turned into success without loss.

I didn't do anything out of the ordinary in Icewind Dale 2, but at some point the game acted like I was some kind of creepy weirdo for carrying around a corpse in my inventory throughout the whole game. :P

Why would you carry a corpse?

I actually have a very different opinion on video games and death. It is common to treat death as something to be avoided at all costs; I disagree with that approach. Failure (and having to repeat that section of the game) is enough punishment without making the player weaker; if anything, the game should be kind to a player who is having trouble, not mean. Remember, (most) video games are intended to be fun; when a game gets too frustrating, it stops being fun.

Also, I like it when there are situations where getting injured or dying is a good tactical choice for progressing through the game. In particular, I like it when damage boosts and death warps are viable options. (In the case of damage boosts, it turns life into a resource like magic rather than something to avoid losing at all.)