Disco elysium did failing checks right. Even if I failed a check I never wanted to scum (except for kim) because the different outcomes were so interesting. I feel like in baldurs gate I fail a check and just fight. There is very rarely a different outcome. Maybe I'm just unlucky tho
I've passed two skill checks only to find out it perma-kills someone in my group. Or at least the first time was permanent, idk if the second one was because I only just retrieved Withers today, I'm always flat broke, and I didn't want to deal with it when I could definitely bring them back to life for the low cost of waiting out the loading screen. Either course of action would undo the same mistake.
Most of my save scumming is because I've almost never had a game present me with multiple great options that I mentally can't pick between, though you're right that a lot of times failure just results in arguing and murder attempts. Really look forward to playing Disco Elysium after this from everything I've ever heard about it
I try to play games on their intended difficulty. Difficulty level wise this usually means "normal", unless "normal" = "a chore in early game without any items or skills, then at the exact moment your arsenal becomes viable you obtain the pointy acid sword and the 'double all acid damage' skill, which trivializes the rest of the game". In that case I pick "hard".
Why is this relevant? Because the industry has developed a standard protocol to prevent save scumming, such that when a game starts I instantly know where the devs stand. You know the drill: 'this game features an auto-save system; when you see the spinning circle, first don't turn off your system, and second take note that your fuck-up right now has been recorded for posterity and cannot be undone'.
As far as I'm concerned, nowadays if the game lets you save scum, then this is an intended part of the experience. The most blatant example of this is immersive sims (Deus Ex, Cyberpunk 2077, Dishonored) that hand you a bazillion save slots with manual saves, auto-saves and quick saves, all but outright telling you "go ahead, 'Life is Strange' your way through this shit". Conversely, we have games that don't let you save scum and this is also a part of the experience -- Soulslikes, Choose-Your-Own-QTEs (Until Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, etc), roguelikes, and a great many other genres where save scumming abolitionists can celebrate their successful conquest. The devs pick carefully, and I believe they usually know best.
It's reached the point where when I see an overpowered save system in a game, I don't only feel zero guilt about taking advantage of it, I actually interpret it as a necessary concession from the devs -- an essential feature to be ignored at my own peril (think of Al Lowe, designer of ye olde sadistic point and click quests, who said the quiet part out loud: "Save Early and Save Often!"). If the devs chose to allow save scumming, this must be because they knew a lot of game scenarios are frustrating, counter-intuitive and capricious when encountered the first time, to a degree that can make the game not fun. I'm just not up for that.
I'm so glad difficulty can be changed whenever.
In Resident Evil Village I set it to hard. I was having trouble (partly because of a glitch of the game being stuck in black and white that I didn't realize was a glitch at the time) and it suggests I lower it to easy. So I did. Then once I understood the game I was ready to increase it. Fuck you, you can't do that. You can only lower it to easy if you die a lot. Can't ever change it again. So stupid.
On one end, I do want my choices to matter. On the other hand, when a bug wipes 20 hours of progress because of one item you accidentally clicked on 20 hours ago. You start playing it safe.... very safe....
I love that not a single one of us has a controversial take on this matter. Sounds like it's not really a debate and just a trash editorial from a trash media outlet.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a story-rich, party-based RPG set in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, where your choices shape a tale of fellowship and betrayal, survival and sacrifice, and the lure of absolute power. (Website)
If your post contains any possible spoilers, please:
Thank you!