Walkthroughs: Yes or No?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Walkthroughs, do you use them for RPGs?

I generally do a little research before I dive into any RPG: how obtuse is the game, are the dungeons simple or laid out like giant labyrinths, are there any missible items or multiple endings, is it linear or nonlinear, does the game suffer from "where the fuck do I go next" syndrome?

The last game RPG I played without EVER looking at a walkthrough was Eternal Sonata. Nothing was too cryptic and I always felt like I knew where to go next. Fantastic game, by the way.

Then of course, there are the games where I have a walkthrough (or in these cases a strategy guide) sitting next to me the whole time. Older games like the original Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy fall into this category, as I don't have the time or patience to slog through them without some kind of guidance.

When playing handheld RPGs, I try to avoid using a walkthrough as I like to play these games sitting/lying down in the couch or bed. It's a pain to have to get up and run to the next room to look something up online. However, I did have to resort to using them during the last three games I played (Radiant Historia, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Lunar: Silver Star Harmony).

What are your thoughts on using walkthroughs (or real strategy guides). Are they great time-saving tools or just plain cheating? Do you only use them as a last resort?

Next game I'm going to tackle is Star Ocean: Second Evolution. See if I can get through this without any help...

[noiseredux]

honestly just depends on my mood. Sometimes I feel like just fucking around and exploring. Other times I feel like just side-stepping sidequests, and exploration to just get to the key points. SO yeah. No real set feeling on them.

[flojocabron]

I really like RPGs, but I am an impatient guy.

Back in the day, if something really pisses me off, I usually give up on it and move one to another game.

Now that I have internet, it does help me out. I just take a peek at the walkthough on the area that I'm stuck and move on.

But I still get stuck sometimes. It pisses me off quite a lot.

Like the post before me, older RPGs are quite hard. But I try.

[AznKhmerBoi]

No - ruin the game, definitely okay on your second quest though.

[Bradtemple87]

I only use them to figure out nasty dungeon maps

[Gamerforlife]

I typically use walkthroughs for games with missables. It sucks to have to start a game over again if you missed some item, especially if it's a forty plus hour rpg.

Aside from that, walkthroughs, guides and faqs are avoided by me unless I am really pulling my hair out about how to get past a certain part. Even then, I'll usually wait until the point where I feel like I'm going to throw a controller through my tv before giving in

[Metal Jesus]

RPG games with random battles quickly drive me to Walkthroughs and strategy guides because of the constant interrupts to the flow of the story. I hate the feeling like I am wasting my time, and getting interrupted every 10 feet makes me want to be sure I am going the right way...

[darthmunky]

I use walkthroughs if I'm stuck at a certain part. Usually it's the puzzles, I'm just not that good at them. I'll try several times or until I get mad then I'll head on over to GameFAQs.

[Jmustang1968]

I like them and hate them at the same time...

If you use it, the game ends up being follow the guide. However, certain games with secret characters and such I like to have them.

[Xeogred]

Admittedly for old JRPG's or whatnot if I have a guide laying around, I'll use them for the maps. But that's about it. Back in my Jr. High days when I lived and breathed JRPG's I was very anti-FAQ/guides and just did everything on my own like a boss. There were a few funny exceptions though, like I bought the FFIX guide when I was on the 4th disc for a collectible and so that I could figure out how to collect all the cards. But other than that, I did absolutely everything in that game on my own so it was pretty rewarding, same case with FFVII-VIII and all the other PSX JRPG's I hit up back then.

... got lazy over the years I guess, and life is a bit different when you're not 13-16 or whatever.