madeaj: Oh Oh, I can answer that! Because games are fantasy and who wants too many real life concerns in a game.
"Hmm, Avatar! Your menses has started and you must find a chemist and get sanitary items, Midol, salty crisps and chocolate!" Buzz kill, I deal with that in real life, don't want it in a game. lol
"Hmm, Avatar! Your taxes are due!" "Avatar, do the dishes, take out the garbage" "Avatar, the cart (ship) tax is due" bah!
Klumpen0815: Well, I'd give some malus in dexterity, strength, stamina and charisma for mens.
This is stuff that affects you heavily in combat (also in RL martial arts), unlike taxwork, dishes, etc.. :P
Okay, then women should get unlimited berserker with extra damage points when they are PMS'g. Because when I am PMS'g I get mean, real mean. Cliché but there it is. What I'm saying is that when you start trying to get all the real life situations in a game it can get overburdened and boring. Taxwork, dishes, taking out the garbage and Real Life in general seriously cuts into my gaming time as it is, LOL, I don't want to do it in a game too.
Yes in RL the things you say would have a serious affect on combat.
However, in RL you are not going to fight Orcs, gargoyles and you are not going level up every time you beat up a bully.
You are not going to win a fight carrying just a dagger against a gun because you have more hit points then opponent.
You are not going eat, sleep and live in 50 pounds of armor and carry all your worldly goods (another 50 or 60 pounds) around on your back without some affect on your ability to fight.
Protoss: This is a rather subjective piece and contains possibly offensive opinions. If you disagree, just reply with an analysis why I am wrong.
1. DLC spam
DLC per se is not a bad thing. If you do it right, people can like it. What I talk about is the DLC spam that we saw on several modern titles like Civilization 5, Borderlands 2, etc.
There is the main game, and then there is a plethora of DLC, some of which is story DLC, some of which is not. My only advise for such games is to wait until all DLC is finally released and then buy it all together. How do you know all DLC is released? Well, either there is a Gold version, the next game in the series is out, or the developer is bankrupt.
Seen in: Many games
2. Pretending everyone is an idiot
If you want to make a tutorial, it is fine. But don't force us through the tutorial. If I have to play some new game and can't figure out the controls, let me see the controls at any time. If I don't understand the mechanics, let me do a tutorial or explain it with some ingame text. Do not force me through the tutorial, if I don't need it.
Seen in: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, probably many others
3. Fail-proof difficulty or too high difficulty
Let people suffer if they want to. Make a difficulty that is always fair but challenging. Don't make games too easy or too hard. It is annoying if you can essentially breeze through a game unless that game is of the kind to breeze through, but also annoying if the game leaves you no chance at all. Let us set the difficulty we want, please. If you want to finish your RPG in 20 hours, so be it, but let me fight against the ultra-hard enemies for 100 hours!
Seen in: Many titles, gladly avoided also by many. As an example, Last Dream lets you set the difficulty in several levels and the highest IS a challenge while all others are more suitable for gamers that want to progress without too much grind.
4. Multiple playthroughs enforced to unlock game options
Do you like it if you play through a game and only after you finished it, the highest difficulty is unlocked? No? I also don't! Let me choose the difficulty I want, etc.
If you want multiple playthroughs for achievements, that is a different thing but also not nice.
Seen in: Duke Nukem Forever (that fangame from Gearbox Software, not the "more real" DNF that was released as a Duke Nukem 3D mod), DeathSpank 3
5. Multiple playthroughs needed for 100p
I finished the story. Why do I need to finish it again?
Seen in: Deus Ex 3, Dishonored, etc., but also many games still avoid it.
6. Missable collectibles or collectibles distracting from the gameplay
What is the reason why I need to find intel in FPS games? When the setting fits and nothing is missable, I am fine with collectibles - in Far Cry 3, GTA, etc. they enhance the fun - but there are genres where collectibles just don't fit. Also, it is NOT fun for me to have to use a guide all the time just to make sure I miss nothing, instead of being able to play.
Seen in: Spec Ops: The Line, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Bioshock Infinite, etc.
Number burns me up too. I hate DLC when I have to pay extra for it.