"Tales of" fans suck at video games (too much).

[Valkyrie-Favor]

At least Namco thinks so. Here's a quote from Anime News Network's latest interview with series producer Baba Hideo:

ANN: Tales of Xillia has far fewer puzzles in its dungeons, particularly when compared to older titles like Tales of Symphonia. What's the reason for that?

Baba: In previous eras, the gimmicks and puzzles were one of the most important features in the dungeons. But recently we've seen that some users cannot clear the puzzles, and they give up going through the dungeons. So mainly we focused on the atmosphere of the dungeons, and we put some not-so-gimmicky puzzles in the dungeons.

For example, players can enjoy the Uncharted games as if they're watching a movie. Of course there are some dungeons and story events, but they shouldn't be harder for the players. I think the primary thing among mainstream RPGs is that the player can enjoy the game very smoothly.

I appreciate the frank answer, I really do. If I were a game designer I'd be pretty sad about having to say it. Of course some "Tales of" fans are very skilled gamers, and probably more of them on racketboy, but it seems so many of them sucked that Namco felt the need to remove the fourth-grade-level puzzles we're used to.

Last year I quit playing Symphonia because I felt it was too easy, too boring, and too repetitive. I'm not a Tales fan in the least, but I don't hate the games and I don't hate you for playing them. I just...wow. It used to be that fourth graders put some effort into Gradius, and now adult game fans can't solve block puzzles?

[Jmustang1968]

Eh, I typically dislike puzzles in RPGs and some other games. There are some puzzle based games which have good rewarding puzzles. However, most are usually more annoying than anything else. They are also often stupid easy and just aggravating, or ridiculously hard and obscure that the game doesnt really naturally let you figure it out.

[Opa Opa]

Unnecessary puzzles can break the flow of a narrative. Go through the temples in FF X... You try to play and enjoy the story and you have to stop everything and fiddle with those damn spheres and blocks.

[Retrogamer0001]

Well, were the game developers being douche-bags and creating overly annoying, frustrating, or idiotic puzzles? If so, then yes, it's a good thing they removed them. I personally don't play RPGs to solve puzzles. If I want puzzle solving, I'll pop in Legend of Zelda or Resident Evil.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Well, were the game developers being douche-bags and creating overly annoying, frustrating, or idiotic puzzles? If so, then yes, it's a good thing they removed them.

This is basically what happened.

The puzzles in the early Tales games are annoying as hell. And not colorblind friendly in the slightest. Glad to see them gone.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Symphonia is the only Tales game I've played, but the puzzles in that game were brainlessly easy. The solutions were immediately obvious, but they were a whole lot less repetitive than the battles

Those color puzzles really would be frustrating for a colorblind person though.

My main point, though, is the producer says many users cannot clear the puzzle dungeons. It was never an issue of game flow for him - he kept putting them in until he found a lot of players couldn't figure them out.

This is the sort of thing he'd have to learn from his player base: I like to think he didn't even consider this happening

[isiolia]

My main point, though, is the producer says many users cannot clear the puzzle dungeons. It was never an issue of game flow for him - he kept putting them in until he found a lot of players couldn't figure them out.

This is the sort of thing he'd have to learn from his player base: I like to think he didn't even consider this happening

It could also just be an extrapolation from trophy data or something. Maybe it wasn't a matter of being unable to figure them out, but people getting bored with the games due to the break in pacing.

[OSG]

I will admit, I am a rather big fan of the Tales of series games. I loved Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, and Tales of Legendia. I personally do not feel that puzzles make or break a game. I know there are lots of other Tales of games out there to play and I plan on it as soon as I can. I am starting to learn japanese and I know it will be to my advantage as many games never came out here. I never had a gamecube long so I tried Tales of Symphonia for gamecube and never got far as I got rid of my gamecube not long after getting the game(didn't like the system, had nothing to do w/ the game). I do not own any newer systems(the newest console I own/care to own is PS2) and there are plenty of tales of games on there to satisfy me. I personally love the battle system the Tales of series contains. There is just something about it that I really enjoy/grabs me.

I have ordered a bunch of import PS2 games and I am looking forward to getting to play Tales of Destiny Directors Cut(possibly will be getting the special premium box set of this), Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of Destiny 2 for PS2. I am also getting Final Fantasy X International and Final Fantasy X-2 International+Last Mission for PS2. So I am very much looking forward to those packages and will post pics as soon as they arrive. (one is coming EMS and the other is coming EMS to someone else than being reshipped to me). I really hope to find over time Tales of Legendia, Tales of the Abyss, and Tales of Fandom for JP PS2 over time. I am sure I will. I would also like to get Tales of Phantasia for JP PSX. This has little value to this conversation but I am also a big fan of the .hack games and once I am able to get all the PSX/PS2 Tales of imports i'll be going after the JP .hack and .hack GU games as well as .hack//fragment.

I do not feel that being a fan of the Tales Of series I suck at videogames by any means. I am currently playing through Dragon Quest VII for PSX(the import) and there are plenty of puzzles and things to make the game challenging as well as very long(i've put about 70 hours into it so far and am only about 1/2 way through just about....not even I dont think). I also own Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix for PS2 and i've beaten both(not on easy mode either if ya know what I mean) and got the ultima weapon and took care of sephiroth in both games as well. Another series I love.

I agree with those who said that puzzles that are really difficult can interrupt the "flow" of the game and can turn people away as i've been in that situation myself a few times with other games. RPG's I dont feel are measured by the puzzles they contain but by their gameplay and story.

Just wanted to add my .02 cents on that. Happy gaming all