Achievement unlocked-SOddomasochist

I really dislike achievements that require you to complete a normal gameplay action x times, where x is normally a "round number" like 25 or 50, when normal gameplay would have you do it around 10 times. Having to repeat sections and do some grinding for these achievements is boring and frustrating.

“Soddomy”

So just play the game as you normally would and don't bother with achievements. If you don't care about unlocking things, then there's no reason to jump through hoops to do so.

I agree with Sekto. If you played the game gradually and replayed it normally like you would with AO, you'd earn those achievements in an "un-grindworthy fashion", making it seem like less of a chore. With some of my Xbox 360 games, I will grind to get achievements because I enjoy getting them, I'm an achievement whore. However, with games like Half-Life 2, which is one of my favourite games of all time, I don't grind to get the achievements because I'll try again the next time I play. I can see me doing the same thing with Oddworld HD.

The notion that achievements or trophies detract from the game itself in any way seems extremely nit-picky.

In the case of Brutal Legend, I didn't even notice I was unlocking stuff until I was about half way through the game. I was like "Oh, that's cool I guess. Back to playing". Beyond getting a little 5-second blip in the corner of your screen telling you what achievement you inadvertently earned, it doesn't take away from the gameplay at all.
In some cases, little rewards can enhance the replay value of a game. I played Clive Barker's Jericho on hard mode several times just to unlock concept art dossiers and other goodies. Not making the achievements ridiculously ungettable makes a significant difference as well.

Inversely, I wouldn't play a game I didn't already enjoy just to unlock crap. If the game isn't already fun and compelling, then I couldn't care less about it's achievements.

I would say that, if the achievements aren't adding something to the game, then they are taking away by their very nature. An achievement at the very heart of its concept is a reward for doing something in a game, meaning that an achievement exists almost exclusively to remind the player they are playing a game, breaking immersion and ruining the player's suspension of disbelief.

However, when done well and at the right time, this effect can be negligible, perhaps even a little beneficial to the over all experience, and, when coupled with the actual achievement reward, they can really bolster a player's attitudes towards a game.

HERE BE SPOILERS

A good example would be, for me, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. When they player pulls that star destroyer down. Imagine if, just after doing that, whilst the in game cut-scene is playing, the blip happens and you're informed you've got 50 points. Not only has that just spoilt the cut-scene, but it's also ended the adrenaline fuelled immersion and ruined the (forgive me for using this word) afterglow of the whole event. You've now crashed right back down into just playing a hack and slash game, albeit a good one.

Now, if the the game leaves you to your cut-scene, one that is tailored to just the right length to allow you to take in the story, but also enjoy the endorphins that are circulating after pulling that ship out of orbit, then, after the cut-scene has ended and the screen fades to black for a second before loading the next zone the achievement pops up, what has that done? Well, it's let you enjoy the game, enjoy the psychological rush of the experience, and the wind down period, and then, as the game has to break immersion anyway to load the next zone, it just drops a sweet little 50 point cherry on top.

I know which one I would prefer.

Heavy Rain would only let the trophies pop up at the loading screens at the end of the play. As long as the certain trophies are not about: Collect so much of this, or perform this stunt exactly this way, then that is good. But if the trophy doesn't pop up just yet, and you do not know if you already got it or not, that can be wrong also.

If you are really going for that one trophy to get x amount of this, you are doing the repeating boring thing over and over, and then all of a sudden BWING! then I am relieved, YES FINALLY I GOT THE DAMN THING!. If that would only pop up after I had to play the rest of the section first, I would have to keep track of how many of x I already did, or I have to guess, proceed, and wait for the BWING, or maybe not. Then I need to repeat the whole section again for how many I do not know.

Of course, for such things there could also be made a tracker thing in the start menu, to see how many you already got (luckily more and more games start to do this). So there's always a solution for everything.

So, for trophies that should pop because you defeat something, and the game starts a cutscene then, PLEASE let the BWING pop up at the loading screens AFTER the cutscene. (if there are no loading screens, just let it BWING when you are getting in control of the game again).

The most obvious achievement/trophy is to rescue all 99. I don't think it detracts from gameplay but encourages the player to go for full completion.

At the same time, if worded correctly and done tactfully, at the right time, achievements can even emphasis points in a game and actually add to the game play experience, rather than detract from it.

Like in Portal 2 at the start of one of the last chapters, and (Don't read if you haven't completed Portal 2 yet) the main antagonist lures you into a trap:

GlaDOS: "Ahh! Well, this is the part where he kills us!"

Wheatley: "Hello, this is the part where I kill you."

"CHAPTER 9: The Part Where He Kills you"

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: The Part Where He Kills You

However I've no idea how anything like that could be implemented into Abe HD. It's a very good example of an achievement done right, but it's a shame I can't think of many more examples.

Well, what about putting them at the very end of the game?
What if you put the general achievements/trophies, like finding and completing all the secrets or saving 99 Mudokons, in the credits?
There could be a double or triple achievement/trophie about making it through the Boardroom, and getting the good or bad ending?

(Achievement unlocked: Chicken Fried Glukkon for the heroic ending)
(Mish Mashed Mudokons for the sad ending)
I know they suck but it's the best I can think of for the moment)

Didn't we have an achievement thread a while back?

That makes no sense!

That any better? I can't think of anything wrong with it.

NO! ODDWORLD HAS NO CHICKENS!

Ain't nobody on Oddworld but us chickens.

Clakker Caesar Salad, made up of our finest ingredients - strips of Clakker fried in Elum stock, parsley and oregano, fresh Monsaic Rocket, crunchy croutons infused with sea salt and Scrab, seasoned with Spooceshrub pepper dressed in a delicious Slurg paste.

I am not a salad fan, but that sounds delicious.
And a Paramite pie for dessert?

Aren't Paramite pies savoury though?

I WANT A MUDOKON POP!

lmaooo i actually love how much thought you've put into it.

Jordan is a fine cook.

I think they're a bit hard to find these days.

These days? They were never released, were they?

Only maybe a limited pre-production run in the time between when Abe found out about the Glukkons master plan, and the time the factory was shut down.

Maybe JAW and OWI could release them in stores if the games sell well enough! Wait..I don't think that would tide too well with kiddies and their parents ._.

But that defeats the objective of Abe stopping mudokon pops from reaching the cons...sorry, khanzumerz...seeing a packet of elum chubs however. Nom.

What about Scrab Cakes?:hungry:

I just read the September Dear Alf on the Oddworld website and one of the questions made me realise something I hadn't noticed before. The question points out that when a grenade explodes, only Abe is knocked over from the blast and sligs/other mudokons don't fall.

To jump back to Abe HD ideas for a second, it would be a nice touch for the new game if JAW could implement the shockwave to affect every character on screen (probably within a radius with smooth scrolling). I can imagine the animations being the same as when they get back up after being smacked by Abe in AE

I noticed that too.

It also touches upon mudokens being mutilated by machinery I think it'd be good if we saw a few slaves with a missing limb or even if we find a mudoken with an arm caught in a saw or something.