RPGs: Picking up a game after a long break

[Abelardo | 154]

So recently I decided to charge up my PSP  to see what I had in there, and ended up loading my ~50 hour Final Fantasy 8 save file and it has been probably about 8 years since I last played it, now this is the 2nd time I've tried to play it though and I'm considering picking it up once I'm done with the games I'm currently playing.

Most of us who play RPGs have gone though this dilemma in one way or another, with shorter breaks usually you can jump back in with little or no trouble, but with longer than maybe 1 year things get cloudy, let alone after 8 in my case if I start over it's practically a new game experience since I've forgotten just about everything, then again thinking about pouring ~50 hours into it just to get where I was already seems pretty wasteful and of course time to play is scarce.

Thinking outside the box I began looking in Youtube of an "abridged" video and I learnt that these types of videos are basically a parody, but found a "Final Fantasy VIII Movie" which seems to be a playthough skipping all battles and seems to stick to the main plot so no pointless running around exploring, so I guess I'm lucky to have this option if I ever decide to pick it up again.

Also I'm in a break from Radiant Historia since I've been playing mostly Breath of the Wild with my oldest daughter, it's been a few months but I think I can get back to it with without too many difficulties.

How does everyone deal with getting back from a break in RPGs? Especially long breaks, do you force yourself back into it or simply consider it a lost cause and start over? Maybe with the help of youtube for major plot events and maybe a big text walkthrough to read all about quests and locations you could get back on track in no time.

[RH | 4,970]

I kind of don't. I try to jump back in... Get lost, and just restart or walk way.

[ICrappedMyPants | 302]

I always restart them.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,585]

Sometimes such attempts also flame out.  Usually I look for some clue to signify where my playthrough is and then find a guide to get me back on track.

This happened recently with an Ultima game I shelved for 3ish years.

[Aguy | 774]

I was 35 hours into DQ VII on the 3DS before taking a year long break. I picked it back up after finishing DQ XI on PS4 and went right back to it. I searched for the town I was in on a walkthrough and just retraced my steps. It didn't take long for me to get back into it and 30 hours later, I beat the final boss.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

2 hours ago, RH said:

I kind of don't. I try to jump back in... Get lost, and just restart or walk way.

That's where I am.  I've got Octopath Traveler on my shelf and I'm wanting to do it, but I know what you said there is what's going to happen so I just haven't.  It's the same reason I got rid of a few others like Vesperia, FF12, etc because I played for a bit and things got in the way so when I finally could get back I forgot what I was up to and my motivation was destroyed to start it over so I dumped them.

[RH | 4,970]

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

That's where I am.  I've got Octopath Traveler on my shelf and I'm wanting to do it, but I know what you said there is what's going to happen so I just haven't.  It's the same reason I got rid of a few others like Vesperia, FF12, etc because I played for a bit and things got in the way so when I finally could get back I forgot what I was up to and my motivation was destroyed to start it over so I dumped them.

I found Octopath to be really fun.  The story/stories were great, but the game play was much better.  It's hard to watch a playthrough to get back up to speed since you have eight characters you are playing through in one big story, but if you like the gameplay, I think it's worth finishing the game to develop players.  Just my two cents.

Edited April 10, 2020 by RH

[Tanooki | 4,952]

I'd have to agree, as I got it far enough I think I needed to find one more, but it was already inching into the 2nd stages of character development spots on the map.  it's why I haven't dumped it like the others I have as they just felt hollow compared.  I'm sitting on DQ11S too but it's so early in such a vast game I really don't see an issue as I can just pick at it whenever.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

I used to completely restart games if I took a long break.

Then life got busy and I just started from wherever I left off.

Then life got busier and I just cut my losses and moved on to the next game.

Then I had kids and now I don't even bother starting a game that's more than 20 hours long.

The circle of life.

Edited April 10, 2020 by DoctorEncore

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

I did this recently while playing Pokemon Uranium. I started it way back when it was released in 2016, but then stopped and didnt pick it back up til later last year, then finally finished it.

Pretty much every Final Fantasy game (with the only true sole exception of 12) I've played a lot, gotten nearly to the very end, then stopped playing it to never pick it up again.... sometimes multiple times lol

[MeganJoanne | 365]

Yep, the in it for the long run, heavy commitment games - heck with it, starting over... or nah, playing something else, too much trouble to start over and I don't remember where I was in this.

I just pulled out a few RPGs on the SNES on emulator that I had started a while back and then somehow stopped be it distractions or whatever, one is Brain Lord. It took me just a little bit of wandering to get back into it but it also helped that I have been typing out all of the game dialogue too so I knew what conversations I been through, what I had done last. It used to be when I played a game like this I would type out my level of my character(s) and location of save and last main event I did as well as the date of when I played it but I gotten lazy about game achievement notes over the years. But whatever, however one choses to record their place in a game to better remember where the hell one was at such some time of months or years ago, sometimes it is a learning experience just in remembering how to play the game.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,585]

I didn't think of this before, but I consciously paused one my recent RPGs (that same Ultima game) recently when I got stuck.  So I burned the current progress into my brain.  "Stuck.  On.  Gypsies."

So I know right where to go to in the guides when I come back.

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

Did this initially with Paper Mario on GC. Played it for a while and then dropped it over one summer. When I came back I couldn't figure out what the next point was suppose to be so after back tracking around for about 45 minutes I gave up and never went back to it until years later when I just restarted and went through it start to finish. Usually if I take a break that long though it means the game is not good enough to hold my attention and therefore probably not worth playing.

[Estil | 1,265]

You can always copy your old save "off to the side" on another file in the game and keep it as a backup while doing your new game.

Unless it's a game like MegaMan Battle Network or the game I'm working on now, Dragon Quest 9 that only allows one save file!!  After I had gotten used to the idea of making duplicate save files at different major points in the game just in case I ever want to relieve a certain part/section of the game without having to start from scratch or from too far back.

[Cepp | 34]

Usually I restart, just because I don't remember where I'm at. I did carry on with my nearly 20 year old FF9 save a year or so back, but I was literally at the end boss when I put it down in 2000

[ookii_risu | 206]

If I lose my place I’ll get a FAQ and figure out where I was rather than start over. 

[Estil | 1,265]

On 4/13/2020 at 2:30 PM, ookii_risu said:

If I lose my place I’ll get a FAQ and figure out where I was rather than start over. 

Normally I'd prefer the real guide (the book kind from Prima or Brady), but as for the FF9 just mentioned, it's got the absolute worst strategery guide ever!!  The main reason being the "new feature" they included in it that of course after a few years now no longer works (hint hint nudge nudge)

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

2 hours ago, Estil said:

Normally I'd prefer the real guide (the book kind from Prima or Brady), but as for the FF9 just mentioned, it's got the absolute worst strategery guide ever!!  The main reason being the "new feature" they included in it that of course after a few years now no longer works (hint hint nudge nudge)

I was so so angry when I got home and opened this guide only to realize it was almost completely online. I had no easy way to access the internet and the internet I did have was slow anyways. Most disappointing guide in history.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

I remember that guide the FF9 official one isn't terribly helpful at times and is kind of uniquely terrible in its own right.

[Estil | 1,265]

7 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I remember that guide the FF9 official one isn't terribly helpful at times and is kind of uniquely terrible in its own right.

You remember that stupid special "feature" they did, which all should've been in the guide proper like every other guide on the market before, during, and since?

[DreamCuPS | 18]

I was playing Secret of Mana (Snes) on an emulator. Then i accidentally deleted some folder, and my save was gone, with only the last dungeon left to beat the game. Somehow, other save I did still worked, this one about 3 dungeons from the end of the game. Anyway, I decided to take a break. I will play another rpg game by now, only going back to Mana when I beat whichever I choose to start playing now. 

[LostLevel83 | 86]

Don’t need a long break to create this dilemma. Just have a few glasses of whiskey while playing.