Which is better?

[laurenhiya21]

Definitely prefer visible enemies, especially if I can avoid them if I want. It's generally super annoying for me if I just want to get somewhere but I keep running into encounters...

Only games I can think of where I don't mind random encounters are Suikoden and Etrian Odyssey IV. (although EO's encounters are only semi-random I guess...)

[PinkPanzer]

I like field encounters like in chrono trigger, Although in games like the lunar series for PSX the enemies are extremely fast and almost unavoidable

I Don't mind random encounters either..unless it's like the dc version of skies of arcadia where every two seconds there is a fight

[CavZee]

I like field encounters like in chrono trigger, Although in games like the lunar series for PSX the enemies are extremely fast and almost unavoidable

I Don't mind random encounters either..unless it's like the dc version of skies of arcadia where every two seconds there is a fight

I played Skies of Arcadia quite a bit back in the day and never found them to be a problem. In fact I didn't even know it was such a wide criticism until I saw it on the internet.

[BoneSnapDeez]

To me it was only annoying when I was trying to cruise around in the airship. Never noticed it in dungeons.

[Aramonde]

I don't care either way, if their was an option like that i would've voted for that. But if i had to choose one or the other i would pick random, just because it has an old school type feel that im more used to.

[Fragems]

I prefer to be surprised when going into combat so I like random encounters. It seems to easy to avoid combat when dealing with "open" encounters and you end up paying for it in the later levels .

The only time I don't like random encounters is when they pop up to often. One every 30+ seconds is fine but when they happen every 3 steps it can get annoying .

[nightrnr]

I'm undecided and refuse to vote .

I probably prefer random in general. I just can't imagine playing classic Final Fantasy games without that dynamic to my adventuring. It's essential to create that uncertain element to the journey (especially for future replays).

That said, last time that I played Lunar (PS1), I was darting around enemies left and right (successful half of the time). And then I started missing random encounters while on the overworld map (from Sega CD). So maybe I identify with:

Overworld I like random but in dungeons I like able to see the enemy.

I also agree that Chrono Trigger did "Open Encounter" very well.
It definitely makes it more accessible and less taxing, and therefore more hospitable to finishing an already long game (you guys can surely relate to RPG burnout).
The D&D Eye of the Beholder games are kind of like that too. You can see the enemy and can actively avoid at times, if needed. It does feel more immersive in that game and random encounters that force you into a confrontation would actually take away from the experience.

So maybe it depends on the game (and my fickle mood while playing).

Really though, if I like the story, the characters, and the battle system, I'm not going to care much.

[dsheinem]

[catnip]

I'm a random encounters guy, but I really like it when games have an in-game way to reduce their frequency or eliminate them altogether; for example, as I'm playing through FFX at the moment, I'm deliberately missing hard-to-reach items until I have a piece of armor with the "No Encounters" ability.

[nightrnr]

Yeah, pretty much.